Michael Smith (chemist)

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For other people by this name, see Michael Smith.

Michael Smith, CC, OBC (April 26, 1932 – October 4, 2000) was the 1993 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry. He received the prize for his fundamental contributions to the establishment of oligonucleotide-based, site-directed mutagenesis and its development for protein studies.

Born in Blackpool, England, he received his PhD in 1956 from the University of Manchester. He went on to do post-doctoral work in Gobind Khorana's Laboratory at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He remained at the University of British Columbia from 1956 until his death in 2000.

In 1987 he became the Director of the University of British Columbia Biotechnology Laboratory.

In 1994 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

In 2001 the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research was founded and named after him.

In 2004 the UBC Biotechnology Laboratories were renamed the Michael Smith Laboratories in his honor.

Also in 2004 the new biological sciences research centre at The University of Manchester was named the Michael Smith Building.

[edit] References

• Michael Smith Labs Biography
• Autobiography
• Also see: Eric Damer and Caroline Astell. "No Ordinary Mike: Michael Smith, Nobel Laureate." Vancouver: Ronsdale Press, 2004.