After his doctorate, Klenerman went to
Stanford University as a
Fulbright scholar to work on high-overtone chemistry, with
Richard Zare. After his
postdoctoral research at Stanford, he returned to United Kingdom to work in
BP Research for seven years. Then, in 1994, he joined the University of Cambridge, as a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry and a fellow of Christ's College.[1][15][17]
Klenerman, along with
Shankar Balasubramanian, invented a method of next-generation
DNA sequencing which is commonly known today as the Solexa sequencing or
Illumina dye sequencing.[7][9] The method is based on the detection of
fluorophore labelled nucleotides as they get incorporated in the
DNA strands.[18] This sequencing by synthesis method gained popularity,[19][20] and is currently regarded as the most widely used platform to replace conventional
Sanger sequencing technique, despite its comparatively low multiplexing capability of samples, as it offers several key advantages: it is automated, quick, highly accurate, capable of sequencing multiple strands simultaneously via
massive parallel sequencing, and economically cheaper in case of whole genome sequencing.[21][22][23]
He is also known for exploring nanopipette-based (instead of conventional micropipette-based)
scanning ion-conductance microscopy methods.[11][24] His research group was successful in achieving very high resolution topographic images of live-cells, in hopping mode imaging, in precise delivery of small molecules to cell, and in studying real time detailed cell-functioning.[12][25][26]
Klenerman and
Shankar Balasubramanian commercialised their invention on the single-molecule-fluorescence based high-speed DNA sequencing and jointly founded
Solexa in 1998. Later, in 2007, this company was acquired by
Illumina for $600 million.[7][27][28][29][30]
2020: Won
Millennium Technology Prize along with Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian on their innovation of Next Generation DNA Sequencing
2021: Won the 2022
Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences along with Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian and Pascal Mayer on their innovation of Next Generation DNA Sequencing[35]
^"The Solexa Story". Bio-IT World. No. September–October 2010. 28 September 2010. Archived from
the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
^Shevchuk, Andrew I (2011). "Realizing the biological and biomedical potential of nanoscale imaging using a pipette probe". Nanomedicine. 6 (3): 565–575.
doi:
10.2217/nnm.10.154.
PMID21542692.