Who discovered bacterial transformation?

Bacterial transformation was first discovered by Frederick Griffith in 1928. While studying Streptococcus pneumoniae, Griffith observed that non-virulent strains of the bacterium could become virulent when exposed to heat-killed virulent strains. He concluded that a “transforming principle” was responsible for transferring genetic material between cells. This discovery was pivotal in understanding DNA as the molecule responsible for heredity.