Density Gradient

Centrifugation
Discovery by: Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl
Presentation by: Sarah Gorbatov and Nurit Schlosberg
Matthew Meselson: Background Check
❏ Born in Denver on May 24, 1930
❏ Graduated high school 1.5 years
early = nerd (he never received a
diploma!)
❏ Enrolled at UChicago and studied
liberal arts
❏ Travelled throughout Europe
❏ Attended Berkeley and UChicago,
studying chemistry
❏ Began working under Pauling at
CalTech and researching
equilibrium density gradient
centrifugation/x-ray crystallography
Stahl: Background Check
❏ Born on October 8,
1929
❏ Attended public
school in the
suburbs surrounding
Boston
❏ Also a nerd, surprise
surprise
❏ Studied biology at
the University of
Rochester and
thereafter Harvard
❏ Received his PhD for
the work he did on
bacterial viruses
known as phages
The both of them were interested in
researching different methods of
proving or disproving the
Watson-Crick Rosalind Franklin
model of double-helical DNA.
The wedding’s
tomorrow.

Meselson’s vision of new experimentation

methods led the way and Stahl’s expertise
in mathematics and biology ensured
success in their expedition!
Equilibrium density gradient centrifugation
Semiconservative vs. conservative vs. dispersive
DNA replication
“The most beautiful experiment in biology”
A Deeper Dive Into Centrifugation
Centrifugal Force
Cesium salt for the win!
“The Replication of DNA in Escherichia Coli”
 The End

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Bibliography
● http://www.dnaftb.org/20/bio.html#:~:text=M
atthew%20Meselson%20and%20Franklin%20
Stahl,enzymes%20that%20can%20replicate%
20DNA
● https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpa
ge/semi-conservative-dna-replication-mes
elson-and-stahl-421/#:~:text=According%2
0to%20the%20semiconservative%20replica
tion,synthesized%20double%20helix%20is
%20a
● https://www.khanacademy.org/science/b
iology/dna-as-the-genetic-material/dna-r
eplication/a/mode-of-dna-replication-me
selson-stahl-experiment#:~:text=The%20e
xperiment%20done%20by%20Meselson,of
%20a%20new%2C%20complementary%20s
trand.&text=Some%20of%20your%20cells
%20are,DNA%20semi%2Dconservatively%2
0right%20now
● https://www.akadeum.com/blog/density-
gradient-centrifugation/
● https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja01
148a508