site-directed mutagenesis leads to Nobel Prize

Michael Smith's landmark contribution to science was the development of site-specific mutagenesis, a technique in which small, synthetic oligonucleotides are used to substitute one base pair for another in the DNA of organisms. This approach is now used worldwide, and is crucial in understanding the importance of specific amino acids to the function of particular proteins. The significance of this discovery was recognized by Smith's receipt of numerous prizes and honours, culminating with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993.

His first paper describing the technique of site-specific mutagenesis was declined by a premier scientific journal. The discovery was clearly ahead of its time.

Michael Smith died on 4 October 2000 at the age of 68.