Chromosome Odds and Ends

Here I give a brief history of my scientific career, beginning with my early interest in natural history and my introduction to the microscope and the wonderful world of the cell. My studies have focused on chromosomes, nucleoli, and other nuclear structures, with a few forays into the cytoplasm. In each case, I have tried to understand how proteins and nucleic acids are physically organized to give rise to the structures seen under the microscope. I describe how studies in my laboratory on amplified ribosomal RNA genes led to the development of in situ hybridization, a technique that permitted us to localize specific nucleic acid sequences with high precision. My early exposure to the diversity of animals and plants made it seem natural to choose organisms best suited to a particular problem, hence the use of salamanders, frogs, and mice, as well as protozoa, fruit flies, and other invertebrates.