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Secret of Photo 51

Picturing the Molecules of Life

 

Intro | 1952: Photo 51 | 1973: Transfer RNA | 1979: "Left-handed" DNA |  1980: "Right-handed" DNA  | 1984: Protein/DNA complex | 2001: Ribosome

Secret of Photo 51 homepage

Right-handed DNA

Less than a year later, in 1980, Richard Dickerson obtained another atomic level image at UCLA. Dickerson used a larger piece of DNA with 10 base pairs, or a full helical unit. This image revealed a right-handed helical structure. Other scientists, including Alexander Rich, were able to duplicate the result and confirm that Watson and Crick's proposed structure was correct after all. (Rich's "left-handed" DNA turned out to be a special form of DNA now known as Z-DNA.)

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