Frank Graham was a Scottish-American microbiologist and molecular biologist who made significant contributions to the field of gene transfer technology. He is best known for developing a technique called calcium phosphate transfection, which is used to introduce new genetic material into eukaryotic cells. This method has become a standard laboratory procedure in molecular biology and has been widely used in various applications, including gene therapy and the production of recombinant proteins.
Graham obtained his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He later moved to the United States, where he worked at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. Graham also held a faculty position at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where he continued his work on gene transfer technology.
The calcium phosphate transfection technique, which Graham developed in collaboration with Peter van der Eb, has had a lasting impact on the field of molecular biology. It has allowed researchers to better understand gene function and regulation, and has opened up new possibilities for the development of gene-based therapies for various diseases.