Science / Medicine : Editors Name ‘Molecule of Year’

The editors of Science magazine have for the first time chosen a “Molecule of the Year,” representative of the most significant scientific achievement. The first winner is an enzyme called DNA polymerase that can be used in the laboratory for making large quantities of any particular piece of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, the genetic blueprint of life) through a process known as polymerase chain reaction or PCR.

PCR is revolutionizing genetic engineering by enabling scientists to make large amounts of DNA without resorting to the techniques that created the field in the first place: inserting a gene into bacteria, growing large quantities of the bacteria, and then isolating the desired DNA. While replicating DNA in bacteria can require weeks or months, PCR makes replication possible in hours.

The new technique has made it possible to perform genetic fingerprinting on single hairs or single cells. It has also been widely used in the search for disease-causing genes and in the production of new biological chemicals through genetic engineering.