UW-Madison celebrates the double helix

This Friday, science communities around the globe will celebrate the golden anniversary of a paper that changed the course of biology. Fifty years ago on April 25, James Watson and Francis Crick revealed to the world the double helix structure of DNA — the genetic information universally regarded as the blueprints to life.

To commemorate this fundamental discovery, UW–Madison is hosting a special, free event — “DNA Day and Family Science Night,” Friday, April 25, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the UW Biotechnology Center Atrium (425 Henry Mall). Everyone is invited to attend.

While some information about DNA was known before the scientists published their paper in the 1953 issue of the journal Nature, no one had yet described its structure or the bonds that hold it together. What Watson and Crick did was create a model of DNA that consisted of two strands linked together by specific base pairs. Their model of the double helix pattern was confirmed with X-ray imaging. For this work, Watson and Crick, along with their colleague Maurice Wilkins, received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1962.

This new knowledge about the structure of DNA provided fundamental information that unleashed a revolution in biology. The structure of DNA, for example, suggested a mechanism by which genetic material could be copied and passed on to offspring. It provided clues to the causes of genetic mutations, as well as molecular and cellular damage.

With the discovery made by Watson and Crick, paleontologists can use genetic information to study evolution, biomedical researchers can develop gene therapies to treat diseases and horticulturists can engineer crops that are more resistant to certain pests or climates. This discovery has made it possible for researchers to map the genomes of the mouse, the human and, most recently, the virus responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the double helix, UW–Madison invites the public to campus to experience an afternoon and evening devoted to exploring the stories and science of DNA.

From 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., UW–Madison researchers will share the history of this genetic material. James Crow, a professor emeritus of genetics, will talk about the study of genetics before 1953. Also speaking will be Richard Burgess, a professor of oncology, who studies how proteins use DNA to carry out key steps in the flow of genetic information. Burgess received his doctorate degree while working in Watson’s Harvard University laboratory. Finally, Michael Sussman, director of the UW Biotechnology Center, will talk about the field of genomics and the tools scientists use to map all the genes of an organism.

From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., learners of all ages can experience science hands-on at a series of Exploration Stations. There, they can extract DNA glop from wheat germ, test their experimental skills with a sample of purified DNA and use micropipettes to measure and move a millionth of a liter.

“For 50 years, our understanding of DNA has been changing how we look at life and how we lead our lives,” says Tom Zinnen, outreach specialist for the UW Biotechnology Center and organizer of the celebratory event. “Discovering the structure of DNA was one of the great insights of biology.”

The special DNA event is part of Science Expeditions, a new month-long series of science outreach events that welcome the public to campus to explore science as discovery. The event is sponsored by Science Alliance and BioTrek. For more information about DNA Day and Family Science Night, visit http://www.science.wisc.edu. Or, contact Zinnen at (608) 265-2420, zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu