By: Nathan Ray, Braxton Giavedoni, Nathan Lingenfelter, and Peyton Graham

Alfred Hershey: Was born in 1908 in Michigan and died in He was a bacteriologist and geneticist. He had a B.S in chemistry and a Ph.D in bacteriology. He then worked at the Department of Bacteriology at the Washington University in St. Louis. Martha Chase: Was born in 1927 in Ohio and died in She was a geneticist when she met Hershey. She received a bachelors degree in 1950 and met Hershey between her studies. DNA Discovery: Chase and Hershey worked together at Carnegie Institution of Washington in Cold Spring Harbor, NY. They discovered that DNA was the genetic information of phages and actually all living things. They shared a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicines. Although Hershey got almost all the credit then, Chase is now credited as being his partner.

Showed that DNA was an important role in heredity material. Hershey and Chase found through their experiment that bacteriophages inject DNA into bacterial cells, but leave the protein on the outside. They also helped prove that DNA cause viral reproduction.

Alfred Hershey began an experiment called the blender experiment along with his assistant Martha Chase in Hershey and Chase were also able to prove that the DNA from the phage is inserted into the bacteria shortly after the virus attaches to its host. They used a high speed blender to force out the bacteriophages The heavier bacterial pellets settled at the bottom. But if T 2 phage with radioactive DNA was used, the heavier bacterial pellets were radioactive. This experiment indicated that during infection with the virus, it is the DNA that actually entered the bacteria. hill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::535::535::/sites/dl/free/ /120076/bi o21.swf::Hershey%20and%20Chase%20Experiment hill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::535::535::/sites/dl/free/ /120076/bi o21.swf::Hershey%20and%20Chase%20Experiment

Gregor Mendell- Known as the “Father of Genetics” Gregor Mendell set the stage for many geneticists along the way. Mendell studied pea plants and began testing them. He found that two out of four were hybrid and one out of four plants were pure bread dominant. Fredrick Griffith- In 1928 Griffith discovered that by changing the DNA of different bacteria he could change the properties of the bacteria and thus suggested that DNA carried genetic information.