Techniques

The Spread of Electrophoresis

In 1964, Richard Lewontin collaborated with Jack Hubby at the University of Chicago to use electrophoresis to measure levels of genetic variability in natural populations of Drosophila.

Unlike any other experimental method, electrophoresis gave researchers access to variation at the molecular level. In doing so, it promised to revolutionize evolutionary biology. Because electrophoresis was affordable and relatively easy to use, it spread rapidly through the biological community.

 

References

J. L. Hubby and R. C. Lewontin, "A Molecular Approach to the Study of Genic Heterozygosity in Natural Populations. I. The Number of Alleles at Different Loci in Drosophila pseudoobscura," Genetics 54 (1966): 546-595.

R. C. Lewontin and J. L. Hubby, "A Molecular Approach to the Study of Genic Heterozygosity in Natural Populations. II. Amount of Variation and Degree of Heterozygosity in Natural Populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura," Genetics 54 (1966): 595-609.

Richard Lewontin, "Twenty-five Years Ago in Genetics: Electrophoresis in the Development of Evolutionary Genetics - Milestone or Millstone?" Genetics (1991)

 

 

 

This page was written by Michael Dietrich.It was last update July 16, 2004.