Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase

1. Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase

2. Hershey-Chase Experiment Conducted in 1952 Wanted to determine the part of the virus that the protein coat or the DNA core entered the bacterial cell Helped confirm DNA’s genetic material that was first demonstrated in the 1944 Avery- Macleod- McCarty experiment Proved DNA is inserted into bacteria after the virus attaches to the host Proved DNA had a protective protein coat Proved the protein coat that protects the DNA before adsorption stays outside the cell using a high speed blender

3. Hershey-Chase Experiment Cont. Found out that once DNA was inserted into the cell, it did not stay in the cytoplasm of the bacterial cell but was incorporated into the Bacterial DNA Could not make any specific conclusions on the function of DNA as a hereditary material but instead said it had some unidentified role A confirmation about this unknown role was later confirmed a year later by James D. Watson and Francis Crick stating that DNA, the genetic material, is responsible for the synthesis of the thousands of proteins found in the cells

4. Alfred Hershey Born December 4th, 1908 Died May 22nd, 1997 Won a Noble Prize for a Physiology or Medicine in 1969 Received his PhD in Bacteriology at Michigan State

5. Martha Chase Born November 30th, 1927 Died August 8th, 2003 Lost short term memory from dementia Got her PhD from University of Southern California

6. Citations http://www.lifesciencesfoundation.org/events-The_HersheyChase_blender_experiment.html