Erwin Chargaff was a biochemist who was born in Czernowitz, then Austro-Hungary.

He earned his doctorate in chemistry from the University of Vienna and then held postdoctoral positions in several universities.

In 1934, he immigrated to the United States and joined the Department of Biochemistry at Columbia University.

He eventually became professor emeritus. During his career, Chargaff developed his understanding of DNA.

After completing his doctorate, Chargaff worked at Columbia University.

Chargaff's work led to the discovery of the structural features of DNA.

He also worked with Charlotte Green to separate DNA into components.

In 1949, he switched his focus to studying DNA bases.

He showed that the bases differ in quantity and arrangement, which led him to speculate that DNA might be the key to inheritance.