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Friedrich Miescher
Friedrich Miescher took samples of band aids with puss cells to do his experiment. He isolated nuclein DNA with associated proteins. He found a nonprotein in nuclei of pus cells. He was the first to identify DNA as a distinct molecule. He published his work in 1871. -
Frederick Griffith
Frederick Griffith did an experiment on mice with bacteria trying to find a cure for pneumonia. By doing so he discovered the "the transforming principle" which caused a heat killed strand to transform to become a lethal strand. He discovered that even if the strand is heat killed the DNA can recreate it or transform it. -
Barbara McClintock
Barbara McClintock first came in contact with chromosomes when she improved on her boss's method and found corn chromosomes. Later she began investigating what x-rays did to corn chromosomes. She found that there were translocations, deletions, inversions, and ring chromosomes in the corn. She was awarded a Nobel Prize for Psyciology or Medicine in 1983. -
Frederick Sanger
Frederick Danger first discovered protein sequencing and then went on to RNA and, finally, DNA sequencing. The dideoxy method we use for DNA sequencing today came from him. He was also a partner with Frances Crick at Cambridge University. There is now a Sanger Center where a lot of work on the human genome is being done. -
Oswald Avery, Maclyn McCarty, and Colin McCleod
They all discovered that DNA can transform the properties of cells. They also discovered that DNA is made up of nucleic acids. They stated that DNA plays a big role in specific characteristics passed down through reproduction. -
Erwin Chargaff
Chargaff said that DNA varies for every living organism. He identified 1:1 ratios. His observation helped other scientists to better understand DNA. He discovered that A=T and that C=G. -
Alfred Hershey, and Martha Chase
They discovered that the genetic material of living organisms is DNA not protein. They discovered this by injecting bacteria with protein and seeing if its offspring had it. then they injected bacteria with DNA and noticed that its offspring did inherit its DNA. -
James Watson and Frances Crick
James Watson and Frances Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA and also found out about protein synthesis and genetic code. They were looking at DNA and found this even though they were supposed to be working on other projects. In 1962 Watson and Crick got the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine. James Watson wrote a book on this called The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA. -
Linus pauling
Linus created the first model of DNA. Linus's model was incorrect due to insufficient data. Linus proposed that DNA was in the form of a triple helix. -
Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl
Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl were discussing how to prove or disprove the Watson-Crick model of semi-conservative replication and began working together after they agreed on so much together. In 1957, they had experimental proof of the semi-conservative replication of DNA. They invented a technique called density gradient centrifugation, which uses centrifugal force to separate molecules based on their density. -
Rosalind Franklin
People believe that Rosalind Franklin is responsible for the discovery of the correct structure of DNA. Franklin discovered photo 51 which is a picture of the structure of DNA. She did it by doing an x-ray picture and she called the structure a double helix. -
Paul Berg
Paul Berg was the scientist behind the great gene-splicing experiment. He took DNA from one virus, cut and modified it, and then added it to the genes of another virus. This became known as recombinant DNA or rDNA. He and Frederick Sanger shared the Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Walter Gilbert for this experiment. -
Kary Mullis
Kary Mullis invented the process known as the polymerase chain reaction. This method is used to amplify or produce a lot of copies of a particular piece of DNA. He got a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. He wrote a book called The Unusual Origin of the Polymerase Chain Reaction. -
John Craig Venter
John Craig Venter worked for many companies and even started a few of his own. He was ahead of the Human Genome project with his methods and thus, mapped the human genome first. He made the company Celera which is now producing the best sequencing machinery. However, before all of this, his ideas were shot down but he continued his experiments anyway. He received the National Medal of Science in 2008.
