[Perspective] Oliver Smithies (1925–2017)

Oliver Smithies passed away on 10 January 2017, at the age of 91, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. On that day, the world lost a legendary scientist, and I lost a colleague, collaborator, and friend. Smithies began his career as a physical biochemist and transitioned into genetics, earning a share of a Nobel Prize for his work in 2007. His interests and talents were wide ranging. In addition to his research, he rode motorcycles as a young man, sang in professional choirs throughout his life, and