Who is credited with developing the PCR technique?

• A. James Watson
• B. Kary Mullis
• C. Rosalind Franklin
• D. Gregor Mendel

Answer: (B)

PCR multiplies a specific DNA sequence by cycling temperatures to denature the DNA, allow primers to bind, and extend new strands with a DNA polymerase. The person credited with developing this technique is Kary Mullis, who conceived and demonstrated PCR in the 1980s at Cetus Corporation. His key contribution was showing that a thermostable DNA polymerase could withstand repeated heating, making automated, exponential DNA amplification practical. This breakthrough revolutionized molecular biology, enabling rapid cloning, sequencing, diagnostics, and forensic applications. Mullis’s work earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. The other names listed are famous for discovering DNA’s structure or founding genetics, not for developing PCR.