Alfred Day Hershey (1908–1997) was born in Owosso and became a leading researcher on bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria. He shared the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Max Delbrück and Salvador E. Luria.[1]
Education and laboratories
Hershey earned his bachelor’s degree in 1930 and doctorate in 1934 at Michigan State. After working at Washington University in St. Louis, he joined the Carnegie Institution’s genetics research operation at Cold Spring Harbor in 1950. He directed it from 1962 until retiring in 1974.[1]
The Hershey–Chase experiment
In 1952, Hershey and Martha Chase used radioactive labels to distinguish viral DNA from protein. Their experiment showed that DNA entered infected bacteria while much of the protein remained outside, providing strong evidence for DNA’s role in transmitting hereditary information.[2]
Legacy
Hershey’s papers are preserved at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He died on May 22, 1997. His career links Owosso with foundational research in molecular genetics.[1]
References
- 1. Alfred D. Hershey ↗. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- 2. Alfred Day Hershey: Biographical Memoir ↗. Franklin W. Stahl, National Academy of Sciences. Accessed October 27, 2026.