X-ray crystallography is a biophysical technique where scientists make crystals of molecules and shine x-rays on them. In 1951, Franklin was offered a 3-year research scholarship at King's College in London to set up and improve the x-ray crystallography unit there. However, the most important scientific breakthrough was a photograph, photograph 51, which was taken by Rosalind Franklin and her student. Some of these include: 1) the progress made by X-ray crystallographers in studying organic macromolecules 2) the growing evidence supplied by geneticists that it was DNA, not protein, in chromosomes that was responsible for heredity 3) Erwin Chargaff’s experimental finding that there are equal numbers of A and T bases and of G and C bases in DNA and 4) Linus Pauling’s discovery that the molecules of some proteins have helical shapes-arrived at through the use of atomic models and a keen knowledge of the possible disposition of various atoms. While the discovery of the structure of DNA involved four scientists, many scientific breakthroughs had to occur for the structure of DNA to be found. Back in the 1800’s, scientists knew about genetic traits, but it wasn't until 1943 that they learned that DNA was the "genetic factor" and not until 1953 that the helical structure of DNA that we know today was described. But, this all started with determining the structure of DNA. Recently, new developments in DNA technology (including cutting edge CRISPR technology) could lead to gene editing and gene therapies. Knowing the structure of DNA lead to DNA fingerprinting, which has revolutionized forensic sciences by matching DNA samples to crime suspects, and can also be used to determine the paternity or ancestry of humans or pets. It allowed us to better understand inherited diseases and how one single change or mutation could lead to those diseases. Knowing the structure of DNA allowed us to understand how genes work and how they are replicated from one cell to another for generations. This is why the discovery of the helical structure of DNA started a DNA revolution that would last the next 50 years. One of the most useful ways to understand how something works is to look at its structure.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |