Walter Gilbert

(1932 - )

Walter Gilbert was born in Cambridge, MA in 1932. A Harvard professor since 1959, he was co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1980) for breathroughs in molecular biology that advanced the science of genetic engineering. He formed several companies to capitalize on his discovieries: Biogen Inc. (1978), a biotechnology firm, and Genome Corp. (1987), which is currently mapping the human genetic blueprint.