Arthur Kornberg (1918-2007) won the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the first DNA polymerase, establishing that DNA synthesis is a template-driven process. He succeeded in recreating an infectious bacteriophage chromosome with purified enzyme substrates and co-factors, enabling his laboratory to reconstitute bacterial chromosome replication in vitro. Arthur Kornberg also wrote a number of influential books, including "DNA Replication".
In addition to the Nobel Prize, Arthur Kornberg was a recipient of the National Medal of Science, the Cosmos Club Award and the Gairdner Foundation Award.
Arthur Kornberg was President of the American Society of Biological Chemists, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and was a member of the British Royal Society. He was also a founder of the DNAX Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology.