Daniel Nathans (1928–1999) was an American microbiologist who made significant contributions to molecular biology and genetics. Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Nathans earned his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis before pursuing research in microbiology and biochemistry. Nathans is best known for his pioneering work on restriction enzymes, which are key tools in genetic engineering. In collaboration with Hamilton Smith and Werner Arber, Nathans elucidated the function of restriction enzymes in bacteria, discovering their ability to cleave DNA at specific sequences. This discovery revolutionized molecular biology by enabling the manipulation and analysis of DNA molecules, laying the foundation for techniques such as DNA sequencing and recombinant DNA technology.

For his contributions to science, Nathans was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1978, alongside Smith and Arber, recognizing their groundbreaking discoveries in molecular genetics. Nathans’ work continues to impact biomedical research and biotechnology, shaping our understanding of genetics and genetic engineering.

Daniel Nathans Quotes

1. “At every stage of my career I have had interesting and cordial colleagues, some of whom are close friends.”
— Daniel Nathans

2. “And of course, identifying all human genes and proteins will have great medical significance.”
— Daniel Nathans

3. “So I applied to medical school and received a scholarship at Washington University in St. Louis. Washington University turned out to be a lucky choice. The faculty was scholarly and dedicated and accessible to students.”
— Daniel Nathans

4. “Small science, which includes most research in the life sciences all over the world, is science directed usually by an individual senior scientist and a small team of junior associates, perhaps three, ten, fifteen, something in that order.”
— Daniel Nathans

5. “The glimpses of human strength and frailty that a physician sees are with me still.”
— Daniel Nathans

6. “First of all, many human diseases are influenced by, if not caused by mutations in genes.”
— Daniel Nathans

7. “People are not the only interesting organism on earth. From the point of view of scientific or commercial value, there are lots of interesting organisms.”
— Daniel Nathans

8. “My education began in the public schools of Wilmington. During most of these years, from about age 10, I also worked at some job or other after school, on weekends, and in the summer months.”
— Daniel Nathans

9. “As I look back on the last few decades of my life, I am struck by the good fortune that came my way.”
— Daniel Nathans

10. “My parents came to the United States in the early years of this century as part of a wave of Russian Jewish immigrants seeking freedom and opportunity in the New World.”
— Daniel Nathans