Collection documents Kornberg's work concerning the synthesis of DNA in the laboratory, as well as the synthetic pathways of nucleotides, and includes correspondence, 1947 to 1982; research lab notebooks, 1947 to 1969 (which include those studies for which he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1959); coursework, lectures, and seminars; Stanford University Departmental records; records concerning professional organizations; and reprints, glass research slides, and audiotapes.

During a research career spanning more than sixty years, Arthur Kornberg made many outstanding contributions to molecular biology. He was the first to isolate DNA polymerase, the enzyme that assembles DNA from its components, and the first to synthesize DNA in a test tube, which earned him a Nobel Prize in 1959. He later became the first to replicate an infective virus DNA in vitro. He was the primary architect and first chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at the Stanford University School of Medicine, which under his guidance became a preeminent center for DNA research, including recombinant DNA research. Starting in the 1980s, Kornberg also played a key role in establishing productive ties between academic science and the biotechnology industry.

52 Linear feet and 400 megabytes

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