Word: coli
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...researchers isolated one of the 3000 genes that control a common bacteria called Escherichia coli ( E. coli ). Large numbers of this bacteria live in the intestines of humans and other animals and aid in digestion...
...Genetic information is contained in the long strands of a molecule called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The three Med School researchers isolated a small section of E. Coli DNA that controls the bacteria's ability to use a sugar called lactose...
...extract this gene, the scientists took advantage of the fact that when a virus infects a bacterium it sometimes removes a piece of the bacterium's DNA. They infected E. coli with two types of viruses that were specifically bred to remove the lactose gene from E. coli...
...After isolating the viruses from E. coli, the scientists chemically separated each of the strands of DNA in thetwo virus strains...
Sinsheimer placed the synthetic DNA molecules into laboratory dishes filled with Phi X's natural victim, E. coli bacteria, which are common intestinal microbes. Invading the E. coli cells, the DNA molecules directed them to produce hundreds of Phi X viruses, each complete with its protein coat. Eventually the invaded cells ruptured under their burden of viruses, killing the bacteria and releasing the viruses to infect other cells. The progeny of the synthetic DNA molecules were not only biologically active but could not be distinguished from natural Phi X viruses...