1953 ⟶ Watson and Crick Publish DNA Double Helix Structure
After examining Franklin's unpublished data, James D. Watson...
Year
1948
1952
1953
⚖️ Chargaff's rules about DNA base pairing
🧪 Hershey-Chase Experiment: DNA as Genetic Material
Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase showed that DNA is the genetic material in bacteriophage viruses.⟶
BiologyGeneticsMolecular BiologyDNAAlfred HersheyMartha ChaseBacteriophagesGenetic Material
United States🧬 Rosalind Franklin's X-ray Diffraction of DNA
Rosalind Franklin concluded that DNA is a double helix with a diameter of 2 nm and the sugar-phosphate backbones on the outside of the helix, based on x ray diffraction studies. She suspected the two sugar-phosphate backbones have a peculiar relationship to each other.⟶
BiologyMolecular BiologyDNA StructureX-ray DiffractionRosalind FranklinDouble HelixStructural BiologyChargaff's Rules
United Kingdom🧬 Watson and Crick Publish DNA Double Helix Structure
After examining Franklin's unpublished data, James D. Watson and Francis Crick published a double-helix structure for DNA, with one sugar-phosphate backbone running in the opposite direction to the other. They further suggested a mechanism by which the molecule can replicate itself and serve to transmit genetic information. Their paper, combined with the Hershey-Chase experiment and Chargaff's data on nucleotides, finally persuaded biologists that DNA is the genetic material, not protein.⟶
Molecular BiologyDNAGeneticsWatsonCrickDouble HelixChargaffHershey-Chase ExperimentScientific Revolution1950s
United KingdomUnited States🧬 Watson and Crick Propose DNA Structure and Molecular Biology
James D. Watson and Francis Crick propose the structure of DNA, opening the door to the field of molecular biology.⟶
Molecular BiologyDNAWatsonCrickDouble HelixGeneticsScientific RevolutionCambridge1950sScientific Discovery
United Kingdom