The object
Leroy Hood developed a prototype automated fluorescent DNA sequencer, a machine that rapidly determines nucleotide order using fluorescent signals. The instrument accelerated sequencing by orders of magnitude and was an enabling technology for the Human Genome Project; the Institute for Systems Biology records Hood's 2025 research publications and award recognition.
What Leroy did
Developed the prototype automated fluorescent DNA sequencer and related automated molecular-biology instruments.
Why it matters
Automated fluorescent sequencing made large-scale genome reading practical and greatly accelerated the Human Genome Project.
Living-status check
The Institute for Systems Biology reported on September 17, 2025 that its co-founder Hood received the inaugural Michael Sela Prize, and its current profile lists 2025 publications.