Maclyn McCarty | |
|---|---|
 Maclyn McCarty with Francis Crick and James D Watson | |
| Born | June 9, 1911 |
| Died | January 2, 2005 (aged 93) |
| Known for | Role in the discovery that DNA is the carrier of genes |
| Awards | Eli Lilly and Company-Elanco Research Award 1946 Robert Koch Prize (Gold, 1981) Wolf Prize for Medicine (1990) |
Maclyn McCarty (June 9, 1911 – January 2, 2005)[1] was an American geneticist, a research scientist described in 2005 as "the last surviving member of a Manhattan scientific team that overturned medical dogma in the 1940s and became the first to demonstrate that genes were made of DNA." He had worked at Rockefeller University "for more than 60 years."[1] 1994 marked 50 years since this work's release.[2]
McCarty devoted his life as a physician-scientist to studying infectious disease organisms, and was best known for his part in the monumental discovery that DNA, rather than protein, constituted the chemical nature of a gene. Uncovering the molecular secret of the gene in question — that for the capsular polysaccharide of pneumococcal bacteria — led the way to studying heredity not only through genetics but also through chemistry. The team responsible for this feat is known as the Avery–MacLeod–McCarty experiment. He died from congestive heart failure.
- ^ a b Lawrence K. Altman (January 6, 2005). "Maclyn McCarty Dies at 93; Pioneer in DNA Research". New York Times.
- ^ Nadine Brozan (February 2, 1994). "CHRONICLE". New York Times.