In 1952 at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase labelled the DNA of bacteriophage T2 viruses with radioactive phosphorus and their protein coats with radioactive sulphur. After the viruses infected bacteria, and a kitchen blender was used to shake the empty coats off the cells, they found that the phosphorus had entered the bacteria but nearly all the sulphur remained outside. DNA, and not protein, was the material that carried the genetic instructions. The simple, elegant experiment convinced the doubters of Avery's earlier result and prepared the ground for the double helix. Hershey shared the 1969 Nobel Prize.
Before and after
- 1952Founding of Court of Justice of the European Union
- 1952Identification of hh blood group
- 1952Establishment of Fiordland National Park
- 1952Founding of European Parliament
- 1952The Hershey-Chase experiment confirms that DNA carries genes
- 1952Michael Ventris deciphers Linear B
- 2 February 1952Birth of Park Geun-hye
- 6 February 1952Death of George VI
- 19 February 1952Death of Knut Hamsun
More in Science & technology
- 1945Discovery of promethium
- 1950Discovery of californium
- 1952Discovery of einsteinium
- 1976Discovery of bohrium
- 29 August 1982Discovery of meitnerium
- June 2002Discovery of oganesson
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.