John graduated by Cornell University with a B.S. in genetics, followed by a Ph.D. in molecular virology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He was then a post-doctoral research fellow at Harvard University, and then a research associate at Baylor College of Medicine. In 1991, he was hired by the Perkin Elmer Corporation to support PCR as a field applications scientist (FAS).
In 1994, John supported the first use of TaqMan probes for end-point applications. With the introduction of a new type of PCR called real-time PCR in 1996, he was one of the first 4 FAS supporting the technology in the U.S.
Through multiple corporate acquisitions, today the real-time PCR product line is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific.
