Benzer, Seymour

(born Oct. 15, 1921, New York City, N.Y., U.S.—died Nov. 30, 2007, Pasadena, Calif.) U.S. molecular biologist. In 1947 he received a Ph.D. from Purdue University. He developed a method for determining the detailed structure of viral genes and coined the term to denote functional subunits of genes. He did much to explain the nature of genetic oddities, called nonsense mutations, in terms of the nucleotide sequence of DNA, and he discovered a reversal, or suppression, of these mutations in certain bacteria.

Find more information on Benzer, Seymour. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Benzer, Seymour.