Har Gobind Khorana was a biochemist whose research helped establish the foundations of modern molecular biology and biotechnology. Working at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and later at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he helped decipher how genetic information encoded in nucleic acids directs the production of proteins. He pioneered techniques for the chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides and artificial genes, methods that became essential tools in genetics and biotechnology. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 1968, Khorana’s work continues to underpin genetic research, sequencing, diagnostics, and therapeutic development.
