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Meselson, Matthew, 1930-

 Person

Biography

Matthew Stanley Meselson, born May 24, 1930 in Denver, Colorado, is a geneticist and molecular biologist currently at Harvard University. He received the Ph.B. degree in liberal arts from the University of Chicago in 1951 and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1957. Working under his doctoral advisor Linus Pauling and using X-ray crystallography, his 1957 thesis was titled I. Equilibrium sedimentation of macromolecules in density gradients with application to the study of deoxyribonucleic acid. II. The crystal structure of N,N-dimethyl malonamide. He was a Research Fellow and Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry at Caltech until joining the Harvard faculty in 1960.

While at Caltech, he invented the equilibrium density-gradient centrifugation method in order to identify and analyze the densities of giant molecules. Along with his colleague Franklin Stahl, this new ultracentrifugal method was then used to test hypotheses of how DNA replications and eventually demonstrated the semi-conservative replication of DNA molecules in 1958. Upon replication, the two complementary strands of the bacterial DNA separate and each single parent strand directs the synthesis of a new daughter strand. The results of this experiment verified the suggestion first put forward by James Watson and Francis Crick five years earlier, lending important early support for the Watson-Crick model of the DNA molecule. Working with Sydney Brenner and François Jacob, the density gradient method was also used to demonstrate the existence of messenger RNA.

At Harvard, Meselson, along with his students, demonstrated the enzymatic basis of host-controlled restriction of DNA, predicted and then discovered methyl-directed repair of mismatched DNA, and detected homologuous DNA exchanges within bdelloid rotifer populations. Other research includes sequencing Drosophila with a focus on heat-shock proteins.

Dr. Meselson also has an interest in arms control, specifically regarding biological and chemical weapons and in anti-CBW protection. He has acted as a consultant to various government agencies regarding these subjects. In August and September 1970, Meselson led a team in the Republic of Vietnam in a pilot study of the ecological and health effects of military use of herbicides. In 1983, along with Thomas Seeley, Dr. Meselson went to Thailand in order to conduct a field study of “yellow rain,” which was initially feared to be a toxic weapon but shown by Meselson to be non-toxic feces dropped by swarms of the giant Asian honeybee Apis dorsata. In 2002 and 2003, he led a team to Sverdlovsk (now Yeketerinburg), Russia, to investigate outbreaks of human and animal anthrax in 1979.

He is the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences at Harvard University and Co-director of the Harvard Sussex Program on Chemical and Biological Weapons.

Found in 55 Collections and/or Records:

Alexander Rich, 2006-08-20

 Item — Multiple Containers
Scope and Contents From the Collection: The Oral History Collection contains interviews conducted with 200 scientists within the fields of molecular biology, genetics, and the life sciences between 1990 and 2024. The interviewees provide first-hand accounts of their experiences in the fields of modern biology, such as neuroscience, cancer, genetics, plant genetics, genomics, biotechnology and others, from the 1940s through the 2000s. The collection contains audio and video recordings, as well as transcripts of interviews....
Dates: 2006-08-20
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / Oral History Collection / Talking Science Interviews

Sydney Brenner Collection

 Collection
Identifier: SB
Abstract

The Sydney Brenner Collection consists of over 300 manuscript boxes of materials documenting the life of Dr. Sydney Brenner, documenting his early years as a student in South Africa, to his work as a scientist and administrator at the Medical Research Council (MRC) and other institutions, to his role in the biotechnology industry in the United Kingdom.

Dates: 1927 - 2023
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives

François, Sydney, and “X” - Matthew Meselson

 Item
Scope and Contents From the Series: This meeting combined a historical perspective with updates on exciting developments and research directions of the current day. Speakers included pioneers in the field of mRNA-each of whom has made a great contribution to the field. The scientists presented their historic work from today's perspective, and then discussed it with the audience. In addition, an invited speaker covered the field from a historian's perspective. This meeting explored the first formulation and proof of the...
Dates: 2014
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / CSHL Annual History of Science Meetings Collection / Series 4: History of Messenger RNA (August 9-11)

H. Robert Horvitz, 2001-04-09

 Item — Box AV06, Hi8: CSHL1260
Scope and Contents H. Robert Horvitz, Nobel prize winning biologist, is interviewed by Mila Pollock and Danielle Kovacs, on March 9, 2001, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.H. Robert Horvitz discusses the following in his interview: Scene 1. Becoming a scientist -- Scene 2. Jim Watson: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Harvard University -- Scene 3. Jim Watson's Harvard Laboratory -- Scene 4. Jim Watson: professor -- Scene 5. The Harvard years: Horvitz's graduate research -- Scene 6. Jim Watson: mentor...
Dates: 2001-04-09
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / Oral History Collection / Talking Science Interviews

Hamilton Smith, 2006-03-03

 Item — Multiple Containers
Scope and Contents Hamilton Smith, microbiologist and Nobel Laureate, is interviewed by Mila Pollock and Jan Witkowski, on March 3, 2006, at the J. Craig Venter Institute, in Rockville, Maryland.Hamilton Smith discusses the following in his interview: Scene 1. An early interest in science -- Scene 2. From medicine to molecular biology -- Scene 3. Post-doctoral years with Mike Levine: P22 and the Int gene -- Scene 4. Arrival at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory -- Scene 5. The search for restriction...
Dates: 2006-03-03
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / Oral History Collection / Talking Science Interviews

Handwritten letter from Francois Jacob to Sydney Brenner #47, 25/06/1980

 Item — Box CP07, Folder: 33
Identifier: SB_1_1_300_120
Scope and Contents From the Series: The Correspondence series consists of incoming and outgoing handwritten and typed letters, carbons, postcards, faxes, and telegrams generated during Sydney Brenner's career. The bulk of this series covers the late 1940s to the 2000s. Correspondents include over 30 Nobel laureates, as well as biochemists, geneticists, students, publishers, and others. Highlights of the collection include the correspondence from Francis Crick, with whom Brenner shared an office for 20 years. Topics covered...
Dates: 25/06/1980
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / Sydney Brenner Collection / Record Group I / Series I: Correspondence (SB/1) / Sub-Series I: Correspondence - Personal (SB/1/1) / Jacob, Francois

Handwritten letter from James D. Watson to Sydney Brenner #5, 4/9/1957

 Item — Box CP19, Folder: 8
Identifier: SB_1_1_757_11
Scope and Contents From the Series: The Correspondence series consists of incoming and outgoing handwritten and typed letters, carbons, postcards, faxes, and telegrams generated during Sydney Brenner's career. The bulk of this series covers the late 1940s to the 2000s. Correspondents include over 30 Nobel laureates, as well as biochemists, geneticists, students, publishers, and others. Highlights of the collection include the correspondence from Francis Crick, with whom Brenner shared an office for 20 years. Topics covered...
Dates: 4/9/1957
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / Sydney Brenner Collection / Record Group I / Series I: Correspondence (SB/1) / Sub-Series I: Correspondence - Personal (SB/1/1) / Watson, James D.

Handwritten letter from Ken Paigen to Sydney Brenner, 7/9/1958

 Item — Box CP12, Folder: 14
Identifier: SB_1_1_483_1
Scope and Contents From the Series: The Correspondence series consists of incoming and outgoing handwritten and typed letters, carbons, postcards, faxes, and telegrams generated during Sydney Brenner's career. The bulk of this series covers the late 1940s to the 2000s. Correspondents include over 30 Nobel laureates, as well as biochemists, geneticists, students, publishers, and others. Highlights of the collection include the correspondence from Francis Crick, with whom Brenner shared an office for 20 years. Topics covered...
Dates: 7/9/1958
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / Sydney Brenner Collection / Record Group I / Series I: Correspondence (SB/1) / Sub-Series I: Correspondence - Personal (SB/1/1) / Paigen, Ken

Handwritten letter from Matthew Meselson to Sydney Brenner #1, 20/05/1960

 Item — Box CP01, Folder: 24
Identifier: SB_1_1_415_3
Scope and Contents From the Series: The Correspondence series consists of incoming and outgoing handwritten and typed letters, carbons, postcards, faxes, and telegrams generated during Sydney Brenner's career. The bulk of this series covers the late 1940s to the 2000s. Correspondents include over 30 Nobel laureates, as well as biochemists, geneticists, students, publishers, and others. Highlights of the collection include the correspondence from Francis Crick, with whom Brenner shared an office for 20 years. Topics covered...
Dates: 20/05/1960
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / Sydney Brenner Collection / Record Group I / Series I: Correspondence (SB/1) / Sub-Series I: Correspondence - Personal (SB/1/1) / Meselson, Matthew

Handwritten letter from Matthew Meselson to Sydney Brenner #2, 14/10/1958

 Item — Box CP01, Folder: 24
Identifier: SB_1_1_415_7
Scope and Contents From the Series: The Correspondence series consists of incoming and outgoing handwritten and typed letters, carbons, postcards, faxes, and telegrams generated during Sydney Brenner's career. The bulk of this series covers the late 1940s to the 2000s. Correspondents include over 30 Nobel laureates, as well as biochemists, geneticists, students, publishers, and others. Highlights of the collection include the correspondence from Francis Crick, with whom Brenner shared an office for 20 years. Topics covered...
Dates: 14/10/1958
Found in: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives / Sydney Brenner Collection / Record Group I / Series I: Correspondence (SB/1) / Sub-Series I: Correspondence - Personal (SB/1/1) / Meselson, Matthew

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Type
Archival Object 51
Collection 4
 
Subject
Bacteriophages 19
Experiments 12
DNA 11
Sample requests 5
RNA 4
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Travel 4
Manuscripts as Topic 3
Molecular Biology 3
Mutagenesis 3
Science Study and teaching 3
Thymine 3
Bacteriophage T4 2
Cambridge (England) 2
Cambridge (Mass.) 2
Centrifugation, Density gradient 2
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2
DNA Replication 2
DNA--Structure 2
Human Genome Project 2
Nobel Prizes 2
Ribosomes 2
X-ray crystallography 2
Adenoviruses 1
Agent Orange 1
Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA Molecules. 1
Bacterial genetics 1
Bacteriophage T7 1
Banbury Center 1
Base Sequencing 1
Biochemistry 1
Biological weapons 1
Biotechnology 1
Biotechnology Patents 1
Bloomington (Ind.) 1
Caenorhabditis elegans 1
Cancer 1
Cancer--Research 1
Chemical warfare -- Research -- United States -- History -- 20th century 1
Chemistry 1
Chicago (Ill.) 1
Clippings (information artifacts) 1
Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) 1
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Press 1
Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology 1
Communication in science 1
Copenhagen (Denmark) 1
Correspondence 1
Drosophila 1
Drosophila Genetics 1
Education 1
Ekaterinburg (Russia) 1
Employment 1
Escherichia coli 1
Genetic Code 1
Genetic Engineering 1
Genetics 1
Genomics 1
Herbicides--War use 1
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) 1
Housing 1
Human Genome Mapping Project 1
Human Genome Project--Economic aspects--United States. 1
Human Genome Project--Moral and ethical aspects 1
Human Genome--Patents 1
Human genome 1
Human genome--Congresses. 1
Invitations 1
Isotopes 1
John F. Kennedy School of Government. Center for Science and International Affairs. 1
Laboratory Notes 1
Laos 1
Laurel Hollow (N.Y.) 1
Lectures and lecturing 1
Long Island (N.Y.) 1
Manuscripts (document genre) 1
Neurobiology 1
Nobel Prize winners 1
Nobel Prize-winning scientists 1
Nucleic acid hybridization 1
Operation Ranch Hand, 1962-1971 1
Peer Review 1
Photographs 1
Plasmids 1
Politics 1
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1
Proteins--Synthesis 1
Proteus mirabilis 1
Purines 1
RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase 1
Recombinant DNA 1
Reprints 1
Research 1
Restriction enzymes, DNA 1
Retroviruses 1
SV40 (Virus) 1
Sabbatical leave 1
Science--Patents 1
Sequence Analysis, DNA 1
Tobacco Mosaic Virus 1
Travel costs 1
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