Hamilton Smith facts for kids
Hamilton Othanel Smith was born on August 23, 1931. He is an American scientist who studies tiny living things, called a microbiologist. He won the Nobel Prize in 1978 for his important discoveries. He is also a leader in the study of genomics, which is about understanding all the DNA in living things.
Hamilton Smith worked with another scientist named Craig Venter. They were part of a company called Celera. Their goal was to learn about the entire human genome. The human genome is like a complete instruction book for building a human. They wanted to make DNA sequencing cheaper. DNA sequencing is how we read the instructions in DNA. If it was cheaper, everyone could have their DNA analyzed. This information could then be used to help with medical treatments.
Discovering Restriction Enzymes
Hamilton Smith won his Nobel Prize for finding something called restriction enzymes. Think of these enzymes as tiny, super-smart scissors. They are special enzymes that can cut DNA at very specific places.
How Restriction Enzymes Work
These amazing enzymes are found inside tiny living things like bacteria and archaea. Scientists believe they evolved as a way for these tiny organisms to protect themselves. They act like a defense system against invading viruses. When a virus tries to attack a bacterium, the restriction enzymes cut up the virus's DNA. This stops the virus from taking over.
Protecting Host DNA
The bacteria's own DNA is safe from these cuts. This is because the bacteria's DNA is slightly changed or "modified." This modification makes sure the restriction enzymes don't cut their own DNA. This whole system, where foreign DNA is cut and host DNA is protected, is called the restriction modification system. When a restriction enzyme cuts DNA, it makes two cuts. It cuts each side of the DNA's double helix structure.
