Ronald W. Davis

Ronald W. Davis
Born (1941-07-17) July 17, 1941
Residence Palo Alto, CA
Fields Biochemistry
Molecular Genetics
Genomics
Institutions Stanford University, Harvard University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Alma mater California Institute of Technology, Eastern Illinois University
Thesis A Study of the Base Sequence Arrangement in DNA by Electron Microscopy

Ronald Wayne "Ron" Davis (born July 17, 1941) is Professor of Biochemistry & Genetics, and Director of the Stanford Genome Technology Center at Stanford University. Davis is a researcher in biotechnology and molecular genetics, particularly active in human and yeast genomics and the development of new technologies in genomics, with over 30 biotechnology patents.[1]

After completing his PhD at Caltech and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, Davis joined the faculty of Stanford's Department of Biochemistry in 1972, becoming Associate Professor in 1980, full Professor in 1980, and joined the Department of Genetics as a professor in 1990. He became director of the Stanford Genome Technology Center in 1994. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1983.

Davis developed the R-loop technique of electron microscopy for mapping coding RNAs which led to the discovery of RNA splicing.[2] With Janet Mertz, Davis was the first to demonstrate the use of restriction endonucleases for joining DNA fragments.[3] Davis collaborated in the development of the first DNA microarray for gene expression profiling with Patrick O. Brown,[4] and the gene expression profile of the first complete eukaryotic genome (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).[5] Davis, with David Botstein, Mark Skolnick, and Ray White developed the method[6] for constructing a genetic linkage map using restriction fragment length polymorphisms that enabled and led to the Human Genome Project.

In October, 2013, Davis was listed in The Atlantic as one of the greatest innovators currently working: "A substantial number of the major genetic advances of the past 20 years can be traced back to Davis in some way." [7]

References

  1. "Center Publications - Genome Technology Center - Stanford University School of Medicine".
  2. University of Pittsburgh University Marketing Communications Webteam. "Ronald W. Davis, PhD - Dickson Prize in Medicine - University of Pittsburgh".
  3. Mertz, J. E., & Davis, R. W. Cleavage of DNA by RI restriction endonuclease generates cohesive ends. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 69, 3370–3374 (1972)
  4. Schena M, Shalon D, Davis RW, Brown PO (1995). "Quantitative monitoring of gene expression patterns with a complementary DNA microarray". Science. 270 (5235): 467–470. doi:10.1126/science.270.5235.467. PMID 7569999.
  5. Lashkari DA, DeRisi JL, McCusker JH, Namath AF, Gentile C, Hwang SY, Brown PO, Davis RW (1997). "Yeast microarrays for genome wide parallel genetic and gene expression analysis". Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 94 (24): 13057–13062. doi:10.1073/pnas.94.24.13057. PMC 24262Freely accessible. PMID 9371799.
  6. Botstein, D.; White, R.; Skolnick, M.; Davis, R. (1980). "Construction of a genetic linkage map in man using restriction fragment length polymorphisms". American Journal of Human Genetics. 32 (3): 314–331. PMC 1686077Freely accessible. PMID 6247908.
  7. Nicole Allan (23 October 2013). "Who Will Tomorrow's Historians Consider Today's Greatest Inventors?". The Atlantic.
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