# Werner Arber

_Swiss microbiologist and geneticist_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/werner-arber
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> Werner Arber is a Swiss microbiologist and geneticist. Along with American researchers Hamilton Smith and Daniel Nathans, Werner Arber shared the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of restriction endonucleases. Their work would lead to the development of recombinant DNA technology.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 3 June 1929 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115495#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Gränichen ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115495#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Switzerland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115495#P27))
- **Occupation:** geneticist; physician; university teacher; Nobel Prize winner; microbiologist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115495#P106))
- **Education:** University of Geneva; ETH Zurich; University of Basel ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115495#P69))
- **Positions held:** rector of the University of Basel ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115495#P39))
- **Awards:** Grand Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; EMBO Membership; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; honorary doctor of Louis Pasteur University; honorary doctorate of the University of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115495#P166))

## Questions

**When was Werner Arber born?**  
Werner Arber was born on 3 June 1929 in Gränichen.

**What positions has Werner Arber held?**  
Positions held by Werner Arber include: rector of the University of Basel.

**Where did Werner Arber study?**  
Werner Arber was educated at University of Geneva, ETH Zurich, University of Basel.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Werner Arber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Arber) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q115495](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115495) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Werber Arber.jpg by Gabriella Clare Marino (CC BY-SA 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Werber_Arber.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Werner Arber, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Werber Arber.jpg — Gabriella Clare Marino, CC BY-SA 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Werner Arber". DigiNepal. Last updated 30 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/werner-arber. Retrieved 5 November 2026.