Sir Kenneth "Ken" Murray FRS

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

FRCPath The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) is a professional membership organisation. Its main function is the overseeing of postgraduate training, and its Fellowship Examination (FRCPath) is recognised as the standard assessment of fitness to pr ...

(30 December 1930 – 7 April 2013) was a British molecular biologist and the Biogen Professor of Molecular Biology at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. An important early figure in

genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...

, Murray cofounded

Biogen Biogen Inc. is an American multinational biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in the discovery, development, and delivery of therapies for the treatment of neurological diseases to patients worldwide. History ...

. There, he and his team developed one of the first vaccines against

hepatitis B Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the ''Hepatitis B virus'' (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infection. Many people have no symptoms during an initial infection. Fo ...

. Along with his wife, biologist Lady Noreen (née Parker), Murray also founded the Darwin Trust of Edinburgh, a charity supporting young biologists in their doctoral studies.Obituaries : Professor Sir Kenneth Murray
The Telegraph, 14 April 2013

Education and career

Murray achieved a 1st class honours degree in chemistry followed by PhD from the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

. From 1960 to 1964 he was a researcher at J. Murray Luck's laboratory at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

and from 1964 to 1967 he was a researcher at Fred Sanger's laboratory at

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. In 1967, he was appointed lecturer at the

and in 1976 he became Head of Molecular Biology. In 1984 he was appointed Biogen Professor of Molecular Biology, a post which he retained until his retirement. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1979, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1989 and awarded the RSE Royal Medal in 2000 with the citation "For their outstanding contribution to the development of Biotechnology, both nationally and internationally, through his development of what is now known as recombinant DNA technology."

Personal life

Murray was born in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

and brought up in

the Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

. He left school at the age of 16 to become a laboratory technician at

Boots in Nottingham Boots UK Limited (formerly Boots the Chemists), trading as Boots, is a British health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom and other countries and territories including Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Thailand a ...

. He studied part-time and obtained a degree in chemistry and then a PhD in microbiology from

. Sir Kenneth's wife, Lady

Noreen Murray Noreen Elizabeth, Lady Murray (; 26 February 1935 – 12 May 2011) was an English molecular geneticist who helped pioneer recombinant DNA technology (genetic engineering) by creating a series of bacteriophage lambda vectors into which gene ...

CBE, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1982. She died on 12 May 2011 aged 76.

References

External links

Laureation address on Sir Kenneth Murray at University of Dundee - Graduation 2000
English biologists British molecular biologists Fellows of the Royal College of Pathologists Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Knights Bachelor Place of birth missing 1930 births 2013 deaths Alumni of the University of Birmingham Academics of the University of Edinburgh Scientists from Yorkshire {{UK-biologist-stub