DNA timeline

1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s

Friedrich Miescher
1869

Frederick Griffith
1928

Avery, McCarty, and MacLeod

1944

Erwin Chargaff
1950

Linus Pauling
1951

Hershey and Chase

1952

Maurice Wilkins
1953

Rosalind Franklin
1953

Watson and Crick

1953

Meselson and Stahl

1958

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 Events

Friedrich Miescher Friederich Miescher was a biologist and physician. He was the first to
1869 realize DNA as a distinct molecule. He differentiated proteins and nucleic
acids from cell nuclei. He determined that nuclein was was made up of
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorous.

Frederick Griffith Frederick Griffith was a bacteriologist who focused on the epidemiology
1928 and pathology of bacterial pneumonia. Griffith’s experiment included mice
and two strains of Pneumococcus (type III-S and type II-R). III-S was the
lethal strand and II-R was fought off by the immune system. Everytime
Griffith injected a mouse with living S cells, it died. Even when he
combined S cells with R cells, the mice died. When Griffith injected the
mice with dead S cells, it did not kill the mouse because the lethal
enzymes were denatured through heat. From the experiment, Griffith
came up with the transformation phenomenon. This means that a change
in genotype and phenotype due to assimilation of foreign DNA.

Avery, McCarty, and MacLeod Before their experiment, scientists believed that protein was the
1944 “transforming principle” that Griffith discovered in his experiment. Avery,
McCarty, and MacLeod concluded that DNA is the transforming principle.

Erwin Chargaff Erwin Chargaff was a biochemist at Columbia University medical school.
1950 Chargaff became interested in DNA and nucleic acids after Avery’s
discovery. Erwin Chargaff developed two rules about DNA. First rule- the
number of guanine equals the number of cytosine and adenine equals the
number of thymine in DNA strands. Second rule- DNA composition differs
from species to species.

Linus Pauling Linus Pauling was a chemist and biochemist. Pauling was one of the
1951 founders of quantum chemistry and molecular biology. He discovered the
structure of protein based off of his background in chemistry.

Hershey and Chase Hershey and Chase studied bacteriophage (viruses that attack bacteria).
1952 They wanted to know if the instructions came from protein or DNA. To
figure this out, they performed an experiment with 35S and 32P. They
concluded that DNA was injected into the host cells and made the genetic
material of phage, not protein.

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 Maurice Wilkins Maurice Wilkins was a physicist and molecular biologist. His research
1953 contributed to the understanding of phosphorescence, isotope
separation, optical microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Wilkins is best known
for his work on the structure of DNA using x-ray technology to develop
Watson and Crick’s theory.

Rosalind Franklin The only scientist with a degree in chemistry that was working on figuring
1953 out the structure of DNA. Franklin became well respected in the field of x-
ray crystallography and then began her work in DNA. Franklin’s
experience in crystallography led Watson and Crick to their conclusion
about DNA structure. Based on her research, Franklin concluded that
there were two antiparallel sugar-phosphate backbones with nitrogenous
bases.

Watson and Crick James Watson was a molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist. Francis
1953 Crick was a molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. Watson
and Crick were curious about the structure of DNA. After years of research
and incorrect findings from other scientists, Watson and Crick introduced
the double helix model of DNA.

Meselson and Stahl Matthew Meselson was a geneticist and molecular biologist. Franklin Stahl
1958 was also a geneticist and molecular biologist. Meselson and Stahl were
curious about Watson’s hypothesis that DNA structure is
semiconservative. Meselson and Stahl are known for the experiments that
confirmed that DNA is semiconservative.

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