Which scientists performed experiments showing that DNA is the genetic material of the T2 phage?

Hershey and Chase conducted landmark experiments in 1952 using the T2 bacteriophage to demonstrate that DNA is the genetic material. They used two separate isotopes to label DNA and proteins in the phage: sulfur, which labels the protein coat, and phosphorus, which labels the DNA. After allowing the T2 phage to infect E. coli, they used a blender to separate the phage coats from the bacterial cells and then measured the presence of the isotopes in the bacteria.

The results showed that only the phosphorus (DNA) entered the bacterial cells and directed the formation of new phages, while the sulfur (protein) remained outside. This provided clear evidence that DNA, not protein, carries genetic information, establishing DNA as the hereditary material in this viral model, which was a significant finding in molecular biology.