The Man Who Built Genes

The story

Har Gobind Khorana grew up in a small Indian village, studying science under a tree. He was curious about the code that controls life inside every cell. Years later, in America, he wondered if it was possible to build a gene by hand, starting from nothing. The work was extremely difficult. Chemicals would not cooperate, small pieces of DNA kept sticking the wrong way, and for months there was no progress. Some might have guessed that building a gene in the lab was impossible. Still, in the early 1970s, his team managed to join DNA's building blocks piece by piece, like stringing beads to make a necklace. Could building DNA really work one step at a time?

The science

Building a gene in the laboratory means joining DNA's basic building blocks in a sequence, a process called DNA synthesis. Each step connects one nucleotide to the next, forming the genetic code found in living things. This method copies what nature does inside cells. Once scientists knew how to make even a small piece of DNA from chemicals, they could study genes, make new medicines, and help solve crimes. DNA synthesis started with one experiment to build life's code, showing that genes can be made outside living organisms.

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