Oswald Avery and the Story of DNA

There have been many talented scientists who have contributed to our knowledge of DNA. Many of us recognize the names Francis Crick and James Watson or Alfred Hershey. But few of us recognize the small man born in Canada named Oswald Avery. He spent most of his life doing laboratory research, and his most famous discovery wasn t fully recognized or appreciated while he was alive. While Avery didn t actually discover DNA fingerprinting, his research provided a vital steppingstone along the process. And his story illustrates one of the most important facts about scientific discoveries: they don t just come out of the blue, but depend on the work of many men and women.