Paul Berg, an emeritus American biochemistry professor who was best known for winning the 1980 Nobel Prize in chemistry, passed away at age 96 on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at his home in Stanford, California. His death has left everyone within the community in a state of pain as they mourn the death of professor Paul Berg. Keep reading this article to learn more about Paul Berg, his personal life, how he died, and much more!
Who was Paul Berg? Know about his personal life
Paul Berg was an emeritus American biochemistry professor, whose development of recombinant DNA techniques helped him win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1980, along with Walter Gilbert and Frederick Sanger.
The recombinant DNA pioneer, Paul Berg, was born on June 30, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York City, in the United States. He was born to a Russian Jewish immigrant couple, Sarah Brodsky, a homemaker, and Harry Berg, a clothing manufacturer.
He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1943 and then went to Pennsylvania State College (now renamed Pennsylvania State University) for his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry in 1948. He later earned a doctorate in biochemistry from Western Reserve University in 1952.
Know more about his background
Paul Berg pursued further studies at the Institute of Cytophysiology in Copenhagen and then at Washington University in St. Louis, where he remained until 1959 as an assistant professor of microbiology. In 1959, he joined the medical school at Stanford University and continued serving there for a very long time.

After his joining the medical school at Stanford University in 1959, he served as chairman of the biochemistry department from 1969 to 1974. During this time, he became a Willson professor (1970) and director of the Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine (1985). In 1980, his development of the first recombinant DNA molecule shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Walter Gilbert and Frederick Sanger. He was also a respected member of the Beta Sigma Rho fraternity. He retired in 2000.
How did Paul Berg die? Cause of death
Emeritus American biochemistry professor and Nobel Prize winner, Paul Berg, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 96 years of age, at his home on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, California. The recombinant DNA pioneer was surrounded by his loved ones at the time of his passing.
No official statement about the cause of Paul Berg’s death or his funeral ceremony has been made by any of his family members or friends. However, they are expected to release the details very soon.
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Tributes pour in for Paul Berg
Expressing condolences over emeritus American biochemistry professor Paul Berg’s death, Stanford Medicine shared a tweet on their official Twitter handle, @StanfordMed. It reads, “The Stanford Medicine community mourns the passing of Nobel Prize winner and recombinant DNA pioneer Paul Berg.” His work set in motion the field of genetic engineering, which has led to lifesaving drugs and opened new avenues of genetic research.
We express our deepest sympathies with the family members, friends, and all those known to the Nobel Prize winner, Paul Berg. His death is a huge loss for the whole community, but his great legacy will remain alive forever. We pray to the Almighty to give his family members the strength to pass through this difficult time.
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Who was Paul Berg?
Paul Berg was an emeritus biochemistry professor, whose development of recombinant DNA techniques helped him win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1980, along with Walter Gilbert and Frederick Sanger. He was born on June 30, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York City, in the U.S.
How did Paul Berg die?
Emeritus American biochemistry professor and Nobel Prize winner, Paul Berg, passed away at the age of 96 on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at his home in Stanford, California.