hershey and chase

How? Experiment?

Hershey and Chase conducted experiments with bacteriophages (a virus that infects and replicates within bacteria). They discovered that the DNA component of the virus entered the bacterial cell during the infection stage while the protein coat remained on the outside. This proved that the DNA carries the genetic information needed for replication. They did this by labeling the DNA with radioactive phosphorus (phosphorus is a key component in DNA) and the protein with radioactive sulfur (Key component in the amino acids that make up proteins) which allows them to track the components in the cell. The results of the experiment showed that radioactive phosphorus was found inside the bacteria, while the radioactive sulfur was outside.

When?

Hershey and Chase made this discovery in 1952 through what people like to call the "blender experiment" or the Hershey and Chase experiment. This experiment took place between 1951 and 1952, meaning that all the preparation, data collection, and analysis took roughly a year in total.

Where?

The experiment was conducted in the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. This Laboratory was at the Carnegie Institution of Washington which is a university established to

fund and perform scientific research.Who?

Alfred Hershey was born on December 4th, 1908. He was born and raised in Owosso Michigan. Hershey attended Michigan State University to receive his degrees and later went to Washington University's School of Medicine in St. Louis Missouri. Here, he studied in the department of bacteriology. In 1969, Hershey shared the Nobel Peace Prize for psychology or medicine with Max Delbrüick and Salvador E. Luria. Unfortunately, on May 22, 1997, Hershey passed away. Martha Chase was born on November 30th, 1927. She was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

In 1950, Chase got her bachelor's at College of Wooster in Ohio.

She was a research assistant at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory where Hershey worked as well. Shortly after graduating from College of Wooster, Chase went back to college at the University of South Carolina, receiving a phD in microbiology. On August 8th, 2003, Chase passed from phenomena at age 75.

What Discovered?

Hershey and Chase discovered that DNA is the genetic material found in genes, not proteins.

Before this was discovered many scientists thought that proteins carried the genetic material because proteins have a much greater structural diversity compared to DNA. This is also because proteins have 20 amino acids which allows for a wider range of potential combinations and functions which seemed to be a way better option for what was carrying

genetic material.