“Matthew Meselson is being recognized for insights that laid the groundwork for the study of DNA replication, recombination, restriction, and repair. With his colleagues, Meselson demonstrated how DNA strands combine when they’re replicated, proving a theory known as semi-conservative replication: As one DNA strand becomes two, each copy contains one of the original strands and one new strand. Meselson also helped establish the existence of messenger RNA, and found and characterized the first restriction enzyme, a DNA-cutting molecule that became a vital tool in molecular biology laboratories. His current research is in the area of molecular population genetics and evolution. For more than 50 years, Meselson has been an effective advocate of measures to prevent biological and chemical warfare and the hostile exploitation of biology. He received a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology and joined the faculty at Harvard University in 1960, where he is currently a professor.”
Transcript of Matthew Meselson’s acceptance speech
