An hfr cell (also calle hfr strain) is a bacterium with a conjugative plasmid (often F) integrated into its genomic DNA. Hfr is the abbreviation for high frequency recombination, which was first characterized by Luca Cavalli-Sforza. Unlike a normal F+ cell, hfr strains will, upon conjugation with a F− cell, attempt to transfer their entire DNA through the mating bridge, not to be confused with the pilus. This occurs because the F factor has integrated itself via an insertion point in the bacterial chromosome. Due to the F factor's inherent nature to transfer itself during conjugation, the rest of the bacterial genome is dragged along with it, thus making such cells very useful and interesting in terms of studying gene linkage and recombination. Because the genome's rate of transfer through the pilus is constant, molecular biologists and geneticists can use Hfr strain of bacteria (often E. coli) to study genetic linkage and map the chromosome. The procedure commonly used for this is called interrupted mating.