Biochemical Genetics

Dr Curt Stern (Professor of Genetics, University of California, Berkeley) lectures on difference between Streptomycin (antibiotic) sensitive bacteria and Streptomycin resistant bacteria, still referencing diagram that illustrates DNA related experiment. Dr Stern explains the process “investigators” (scientists) used to determine the difference between the bacteria: they broke the bacteria down into different parts-- proteins, fats, and pure nucleic acid. The pure nucleic acid from the Streptomycin-resistant bacteria was added to the Streptomycin (antibiotic) sensitive bacteria, which was then placed in a plate (petri dish) containing Streptomycin (antibiotic) once the pure nucleic acid was added to the Streptomycin plate, the once sensitive bacteria grew in small colonies rather than dying. The science experiment was known as “The Transformation Experiment,” which proved that Nucleic Acid (DNA) was the genetic material.