Luciano Marraffini

Luciano Marraffini was born and raised in Argentina. As a child, he was drawn to science fiction stories, especially those that centered on the fantastical idea of genetic editing — a tool he eventually became internationally recognized for advancing. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Rosario, he moved to the United States and earned a PhD in microbiology from the University of Chicago. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University, where he began studying CRISPR systems, naturally occurring immune systems in bacteria and other microbes.

One of the first scientists to recognize how CRISPR systems work at the molecular level, his research was instrumental in the development of CRISPR-Cas9, a DNA-editing technology that allows researchers to harness CRISPR systems to alter genes in both bacteria and human cells and potentially treat genetic diseases.

Marraffini is currently the Kayden Family Professor and head of the laboratory of bacteriology at the Rockefeller University, where he is a mentor to a diverse group of trainees. As he told the Vilcek Foundation, which awarded him the 2024 Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science, “I remember my own story, and I think it’s very important to give trainees the freedom to pursue what they think is the most important question in their science.”

Marraffini’s honors include the Max Planck–Humboldt Medal and the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award. He is an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.