title: A Speculative History of DNA: What If Oswald Avery Had Died in 1934?
abstract: This speculative Essay explores the consequences of the imagined premature death of Oswald Avery, who in 1944 provided evidence that genes are made of DNA. Four imaginary alternate routes to the genetic function of DNA are outlined, each of which highlights different aspects of the actual process of discovery.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cobb
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000266:history*; D005796:Genes; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004247:DNA