Dr. Frederick Sanger, a British biochemist and two-time winner of the Nobel Prize, has died at age 95, BBC reported.
Called "one of the greatest scientists of any generation" and "a real hero" of British science by his colleagues, Sanger will be remembered for his pioneering work in genomics.
The Gloucestershire-born Briton, who is known as the "father of genomics," led methods to work out exact sequences of DNA and developed techniques to figure out protein structure.
A University of Cambridge graduate, Sanger stands as the only Briton to win two Nobel Prizes as well as the sole scientist to win the prize for Chemistry twice.
Sanger's 1958 Nobel Prize came for his work in developing methods to determine the exact chemical makeup of proteins, which are constructed from amino acids. The scientist found the types of amino acids and the correct order that builds the hormone insulin.
For his DNA work, Sanger collaborated with a group to make the first whole genome sequence, comprising more than 5,000 pairs of bases, in a virus.
Known as "Sanger sequencing," the process earned Sanger his second Nobel Prize in 1980, when he thanked his wife and fellow researchers for their help.
"I was married to Margaret Joan Howe in 1940," he said. "Although not a scientist herself she has contributed more to my work than anyone else by providing a peaceful and happy home."
Sanger was also awarded the Order of Merit, one of Britain's highest honors, in 1986; however, he turned down a knighthood, not wanting to be addressed as "sir."
Named for him, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire specializes in study of the genome. Founding Director John Sulston once asked Sanger how he felt about the namesake. Sanger's response was that "it better be good."
The renowned researcher worked until age 65, when he retired to gardening and "messing about in boats."
Sanger will be remembered by his colleagues and the world both for his groundbreaking work in genomics and his humble personality.
"Fred can fairly be called the father of the genomic era," said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust. "His work laid the foundations of humanity's ability to read and understand the genetic code, which has revolutionized biology and is today contributing to transformative improvements in healthcare."
The importance of Sanger's work is "impossible to exaggerate," said Colin Blakemore, former chief executive of the British Medical Research Council.
"His invention of the two critical technical advances--for sequencing proteins and nucleic acids--opened up the fields of molecular biology, genetics and genomics," Blakemore said of Sanger. "Yet he was a disarmingly modest man, who once said: 'I was just a chap who messed about in his lab'."
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