Willem P.C. Stemmer
| Willem P. C. Stemmer | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 1957 [1] |
| Died | April 2, 2013 |
| Nationality | Netherlands |
| Institutions | Amunix |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Known for | DNA shuffling, Maxygen |
| Notable awards | Charles Stark Draper Prize (2011) |
Willem P. C. "Pim" Stemmer (12 March 1957 - 2 April 2013) was a Dutch scientist and entrepreneur who has invented numerous biotechnologies that have led to successful products and business ventures. He was the founder and CEO of Amunix Inc., a company that creates "pharmaceutical proteins with extended dosing frequency". His other prominent inventions include DNA shuffling, now referred to as molecular breeding. He holds more than 97 patents. Stemmer was honored with the Charles Stark Draper Prize in 2011. He was elected as member of National Academy of Engineering.
Stemmer died of cancer on April 2, 2013.
Stemmer attended the Institut Montana-Zug, a boarding and day school in Zugerberg, Switzerland, in the greater Zurich area, from which he graduated in 1975. He developed an interest in biology at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, from which he received a M.S. in biology in 1980.
It was not until 1980, however, when he traveled to University of Wisconsin-Madison that he was introduced to molecular biology. He received a PhD from the University of Wisconsin for his work on bacterial pili and fimbriae involved in host-pathogen interactions. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research with Professor Fred Blattner on phage display of random peptide libraries and antibody fragment expression in E. coli bacteria.
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