Noreen Murray

Noreen Elizabeth, Lady Murray (; 26 February 1935 – 12 May 2011) was an English molecular geneticist who helped pioneer recombinant DNA technology (genetic engineering) by creating a series of bacteriophage lambda vectors into which genes could be inserted and expressed in order to examine their function. Until her 2001 retirement she held a personal chair in molecular genetics at the University of Edinburgh. She was president of the Genetical Society, vice president of the Royal Society, and a member of the UK Science and Technology Honours Committee. She was educated at Lancaster Girls' Grammar School, at King's College London (BSc), and received her PhD from the University of Birmingham in 1959.

Career Murray was a committed researcher. She worked at Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and the Medical Research Council (UK) before first joining the University of Edinburgh faculty in 1967. In 1968 Noreen had become interested in the phenomenon of host-controlled restriction (the ability of bacterial cells to "restrict" foreign DNA) and decided to study this phenomenon in Escherichia coli using bacteriophage lambda and her knowledge of bacteriophage genetics.

She was married to Sir Kenneth Murray, also a noted biochemist with whom she helped develop a vaccine against hepatitis B, the first genetically engineered vaccine approved for human use.

She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours list for 2002.

The Noreen and Kenneth Murray Library in Edinburgh University's King's Buildings complex is named in her honour.