Lisa Winter

Many cancer treatments and genetic therapies rely on a cell’s ability to repair damaged DNA. The mechanism behind this SOS response was discovered by geneticist Evelyn Witkin, who died on July 8 at the age of 102 at a rehabilitation facility following a fall. Born March 9, 1921 in New York City, Evelyn Witkin, née Maisel, was the daughter of a pharmacist and homemaker.

Genetic engineering uses enzymes to carefully alter genetic material. This line of study has led to hardier and healthier food crops, the mass production of insulin, and novel vaccines, and it’s all possible because of the work done by biochemist Paul Berg, who became the first to use recombinant DNA. Berg died on February 15 at 96 years old.

Michael Green, a cellular and molecular biologist, died unexpectedly on February 10 at the age of 69. His work on the mechanisms of gene regulation in RNA, specifically pre-mRNA splicing, and how they apply to diseases such as cancer laid much of the groundwork for what is known about the onset of disease from a molecular level. Green was born on January 20, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.