Paul Berg

Paul Berg joined the nascent Biochemisty department at Stanford University in 1959 and has remained there since. Berg’s early work led to the discovery of the aminoacyl tRNA synthetases and tRNAs and their role in protein synthesis. Berg was a pioneer in developing recombinant DNA techniques, work for which he shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Walter Gilbert and Fred Sanger. Berg is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the National Medal of Science and the American Society for Cell Biology’s Public Service Award.