To find the transforming principle, bacteriologists did a number of experiments.Alcohol precipitated the transforming principle. This demonstrated that it wasn't a carbohydrate.Proteases were unable to eliminate the transforming principle. So, the protein was not the cause.The lipases were unable to remove the transforming principle. This demonstrated that it wasn't a lipid.Ribonuclease could not inactivate the transforming principle, hence RNA was not effective.Deoxyribonuclease may be used to inactivate the transforming principle.DNA was the transforming principle. As a result, DNA was the genetic material.