Introduction

Part I: The Birth of Molecular Biology

1. The Roots of the New Science

2. The One Gene One Enzyme Hypothesis

3. The Chemical Nature of the Gene

4. The Phage Group

5. The Birth of Bacterial Genetics

6. The Crystallization of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus

7. The Role of the Physicists

8. The Influence of the Rockefeller Foundation

9. The Introduction of Physical Techniques

10. The Role of Physics



Part II: The Development of Molecular Biology



11. The Discovery of the Double Helix

12. Deciphering the Genetic Code

13. The Discovery of Messenger RNA

14. The French School



Part III: The Expansion of Molecular Biology



15. Normal Science

16. Genetic Engineering

17. Split Genes and Splicing

18. A New Molecular Biology

19. The Discovery of Oncogenes

20. From DNA Polymerase to the Amplification of DNA

21. Molecular Biology in the Life Sciences



Appendix: Definition of Terms

Notes

Acknowledgments

Index

Author photo: Jeremie Nassif

Michel Morange is Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for the Study of the History of Science at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris.

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