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Learn While Sleeping · Sep 6, 2025 · 1 hr 57 min

All About DNA: An Immersive Journey

Rest cozy in your bed, and travel with me in this immersive journey through labs, and history while we learn about DNA in depth. Before each part, we will have a little word toolkit, to help carry us through the stories. No pressure, no test, no cramming. Just muscle relaxation and dreams of the world! This is Episode 1, of a series bedtime course on molecular biology. You are free to listen to any episode at any instance, and it doesn't have to be in order. Settle In What is Molecular Biology What Makes a Hereditary Molecule? Mendel's Garden The Nucleus Idea The Transforming Principle Hershey-Chase: The Blender Decision Becoming the Double Helix Hybridization: Design it Yourself! Why DNA Works Wind-Down References: Griffith, F. (1928). The significance of pneumococcaltypes. Journal of Hygiene, 27(2), 113–159.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022172400031879 Avery, O. T., MacLeod, C. M., & McCarty, M. (1944).Studies on the chemical nature of the substance inducing transformation ofpneumococcal types. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 79(2),137–158. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.79.2.137 Hershey, A. D., & Chase, M. (1952). Independentfunctions of viral protein and nucleic acid in growth of bacteriophage. Journalof General Physiology, 36(1), 39–56.https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.36.1.39 Chargaff, E., Vischer, E., Doniger, R., Green, C., &Misani, F. (1949). The composition of the desoxypentose nucleic acids of thymusand spleen. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 177(1), 405–416. Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Molecularstructure of nucleic acids: A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature,171(4356), 737–738. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0 Franklin, R. E., & Gosling, R. G. (1953). Molecularconfiguration in sodium thymonucleate. Nature, 171(4356),740–741. https://doi.org/10.1038/171740a0 Wilkins, M. H. F., Stokes, A. R., & Wilson, H. R.(1953). Molecular structure of deoxypentose nucleic acids. Nature, 171(4356),738–740. https://doi.org/10.1038/171738a0 Wang, J. C. (1979). Helical repeat of DNA in solution. Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 76(1),200–203. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.76.1.200 Wang, A. H.-J., Quigley, G. J., Kolpak, F. J., Crawford,J. L., van Boom, J. H., van der Marel, G., & Rich, A. (1979). Molecularstructure of a left-handed double helical DNA fragment at atomic resolution. Nature,282, 680–686. https://doi.org/10.1038/282680a0 Marmur, J., & Doty, P. (1962). Determination of thebase composition of deoxyribonucleic acid from its thermal denaturationtemperature. Journal of Molecular Biology, 5, 109–118.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-2836(62)80066-7 Rohs, R., West, S. M., Sosinsky, A., Liu, P., Mann, R.S., & Honig, B. (2010). Origins of specificity in protein–DNA recognition. AnnualReview of Biochemistry, 79, 233–269.https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-060408-091030 Hall, K. (2021). DNA translated: Friedrich Miescher’sdiscovery of nuclein in its original context. The British Journal for theHistory of Science, 54(3), 299–324.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007087420000680

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show notes

Rest cozy in your bed, and travel with me in this immersive journey through labs, and history while we learn about DNA in depth. Before each part, we will have a little word toolkit, to help carry us through the stories. No pressure, no test, no cramming. Just muscle relaxation and dreams of the world!


This is Episode 1, of a series bedtime course on molecular biology. You are free to listen to any episode at any instance, and it doesn't have to be in order.


  1. Settle In
  2. What is Molecular Biology
  3. What Makes a Hereditary Molecule?
  4. Mendel's Garden
  5. The Nucleus Idea
  6. The Transforming Principle
  7. Hershey-Chase: The Blender Decision
  8. Becoming the Double Helix
  9. Hybridization: Design it Yourself!
  10. Why DNA Works
  11. Wind-Down

References:


  1. Griffith, F. (1928). The significance of pneumococcaltypes. Journal of Hygiene, 27(2), 113–159.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022172400031879
  2. Avery, O. T., MacLeod, C. M., & McCarty, M. (1944).Studies on the chemical nature of the substance inducing transformation ofpneumococcal types. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 79(2),137–158. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.79.2.137
  3. Hershey, A. D., & Chase, M. (1952). Independentfunctions of viral protein and nucleic acid in growth of bacteriophage. Journalof General Physiology, 36(1), 39–56.https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.36.1.39
  4. Chargaff, E., Vischer, E., Doniger, R., Green, C., &Misani, F. (1949). The composition of the desoxypentose nucleic acids of thymusand spleen. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 177(1), 405–416.
  5. Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Molecularstructure of nucleic acids: A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature,171(4356), 737–738. https://doi.org/10.1038/171737a0
  6. Franklin, R. E., & Gosling, R. G. (1953). Molecularconfiguration in sodium thymonucleate. Nature, 171(4356),740–741. https://doi.org/10.1038/171740a0
  7. Wilkins, M. H. F., Stokes, A. R., & Wilson, H. R.(1953). Molecular structure of deoxypentose nucleic acids. Nature, 171(4356),738–740. https://doi.org/10.1038/171738a0
  8. Wang, J. C. (1979). Helical repeat of DNA in solution. Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 76(1),200–203. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.76.1.200
  9. Wang, A. H.-J., Quigley, G. J., Kolpak, F. J., Crawford,J. L., van Boom, J. H., van der Marel, G., & Rich, A. (1979). Molecularstructure of a left-handed double helical DNA fragment at atomic resolution. Nature,282, 680–686. https://doi.org/10.1038/282680a0
  10. Marmur, J., & Doty, P. (1962). Determination of thebase composition of deoxyribonucleic acid from its thermal denaturationtemperature. Journal of Molecular Biology, 5, 109–118.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-2836(62)80066-7
  11. Rohs, R., West, S. M., Sosinsky, A., Liu, P., Mann, R.S., & Honig, B. (2010). Origins of specificity in protein–DNA recognition. AnnualReview of Biochemistry, 79, 233–269.https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-060408-091030
  12. Hall, K. (2021). DNA translated: Friedrich Miescher’sdiscovery of nuclein in its original context. The British Journal for theHistory of Science, 54(3), 299–324.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007087420000680