Herbert Boyer American biotechnology researcher and entrepreneur Date of Birth: 10.07.1936 Country: USA

Biography of Herbert Boyer

Herbert Boyer is an American researcher and entrepreneur in the field of biotechnology. Along with geneticist Stanley N. Cohen and biochemist Paul Berg, Boyer discovered the method of forcing bacteria to produce foreign proteins, effectively pioneering the field of genetic engineering. In 1990, he was awarded the National Medal of Science, and in 1996, he became one of the recipients of the Lemelson-MIT Prize.

Born on July 10, 1936, in Derry, Pennsylvania, Herbert Boyer obtained a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe in 1958. A year later, he married Grace. In 1963, Boyer earned his doctoral degree from the University of Pittsburgh. During this time, he was also an activist in the civil rights movement.

Boyer spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University, working in the laboratories of professors Edward Adelberg and Bruce Carlton. He then became an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco. From 1976 to 1991, Boyer served as a professor of biochemistry at the university. During this period, Boyer discovered that bacterial genes could be combined with genes from eukaryotes.

In 1976, Boyer co-founded the biotechnology company Genentech with venture capitalist Robert Swanson. The company overcame numerous challenges to successfully produce the first synthesized insulin, surpassing Walter Gilbert, who was attempting to use genetic material from natural sources through his company Biogen. Boyer created a gene from its individual nucleotides. In April 1990, Boyer and his wife Grace donated their entire fortune, 10 million dollars, to the Yale School of Medicine. In 1991, the Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine was named in honor of the Boyer family.

Additionally, Boyer is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Scripps Research Institute. When the Class of 2007 was graduated from Saint Vincent College, the college officially announced that it would be renamed the Herbert Boyer College.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Boyer is known for his philanthropy and contributions to medical research, particularly in the field of biotechnology.