DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors.

Sanger and colleagues developed methods for rapid sequencing of long sections of DNA molecules. Sanger’s method, and that developed by Gilbert and Maxam, made it possible to read the nucleotide sequence for entire genes that ran from 1000 to 30,000 bases long. With S. Nicklen and A. R. Coulson. This paper is available from the PNAS at this link.

In 1980 Sanger shared half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Walter Gilbert "for their contributions concerning the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids." The other half was awarded to Paul Berg "for his fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleic acids, with particular regard to recombinant-DNA."