Michael Smith (26 April 1932 – 4 October 2000) was a Blackpool-born Canadian biochemist who shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Kary Mullis for developing site-directed mutagenesis, a technique enabling precise alterations in DNA sequences. This innovation revolutionised molecular biology, leading to advancements in genetic research, medicine, and biotechnology. Smith excelled academically, earning scholarships to Arnold School for Boys and the University of Manchester, where he completed a BSc and PhD in chemistry (1956). Moving to Canada in 1956, he conducted postdoctoral research with Har Gobind Khorana on nucleotide synthesis. After a brief stint in Wisconsin, Smith returned to Vancouver, working at the Fisheries Research Board before joining the University of British Columbia (UBC) as a biochemistry professor in 1966.
Smith’s career highlights include the development of site-directed mutagenesis in the 1970s, enabling targeted gene mutations and laying the foundation for modern genetic engineering. His method advanced understanding of protein structure, gene function, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cystic fibrosis. He also contributed to PCR technology and synthetic biology. Beyond research, Smith led UBC’s Biotechnology Laboratory, established the Genome Sequencing Centre, and co-founded ZymoGenetics, focusing on recombinant proteins. A leader in Canadian biotechnology, he helped shape the Human Genome Project and the Protein Engineering Network of Centres of Excellence.
Smith received numerous honours, including Companion of the Order of Canada and membership in the Order of British Columbia. Known for his generosity, he donated his Nobel Prize money to schizophrenia research, women in science, and education initiatives. He became a Canadian citizen in 1963 and had three children with his first wife, Helen Christie. He spent his later years with partner Elizabeth Raines in Vancouver, passing away in 2000, leaving a lasting legacy in science.
Michael Smith, Nobel prize winner, party at Mary Vickers’s house, 1994.
