Beadle+and+Tatum

**George Wells Beadle and Edward Lawrie Tatum **

**Contribution to Genetics:** They showed the relationship between genotype and phenotype. They came up with the one gene - one enzyme hypothesis.  **Organism utilized for experimentation:** Bread mold- //Neurospora crassa**.**// 
 *  Electron micrograph pictures of a mutated Neurospora crassa bread mold **

Beadle and Tatum conducted this experiment in the year 1941. Both men had been working in the field of genetics and investigating the inheritance of certain traits such as eye color. Many of their experiments had utilized fruit flies (//Drosophila),// but came to the conclusion that they needed a simpler organism. This is when they turned to bread mold known as //Neurospora crassa//. First they exposed a sample of bread mold to radiation in order to create mutant genes in the mold. Then they crossed the possibly mutated bread mold with mold that had not been previouslyu exposed to radiation. They then studied the parts of the mold that would not grow. They realized that the parts of the mold that would not grow lacked an enzyme that produced the molecule needed for mold to grow (an Amino Acid). Therefore, they came to the conclusion that the enzyme that was not created in the second generation of bread mold was caused by a mutation, or lack of, a certain gene.
 * Explain the Experiment:**

Through this experiment and by studying the strains that would no grow, they found that the stagnant mold not growing lacked an enzyme that would usually help it thrive. They also found that "each mutant was defective in a single gene." Through this information, they discovered the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis which is when a gene dictates the production of a specific enzyme. This idea has grown since the original Beadle and Tatum experiment into the one gene - one protein hypothesis because some genes create proteins other than enzymes (ex. structural proteins).
 * Significance of Research:**

Here is a helpful link to an animation of the Beadle and Tatum experiment.
 * Animations:**

1. "Animation 16: One gene makes one protein. :: Dolan DNA Learning Center." //Dolan DNA Learning Center//. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. http://www.dnalc.org/view/16360-Animation-16-One-gene-makes-one-protein-.html.
 * Bibliography using MLA citation:**

2. "The One Gene/One Enzyme Hypothesis." //Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum//. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. [/BC/One_Gene_One_Enzyme.php].

Editor - Nikhil Kanpal Publisher - Dylan Doskicz Researcher - Samantha Webster and Danielle Baglivo
 * Responsibilities:**