An Unsung Heroine of Science

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Few achievements in science are as fascinating or controversial as the race to unravel the structure of DNA, the famous molecule that carries genetic information.

The Nobel Prize for this achievement was given to Watson and Crick from Britain’s Cambridge University.  Their solution to the puzzle of the structure of DNA was only possible because of information given to them by Maurice Wilkins from King’s College, London.  What Wilkins showed Watson was the results of work performed by his colleague Rosalind Franklin, who had obtained the best x-ray diffraction data on the finest DNA fibres, which she had successfully extracted.

Unfortunately she had a strained relationship with Wilkins.  These were the days when women scientists were not allowed to eat lunch in the common room with the men!

Franklin took the clearest pictures of DNA and was the first to realize its back bone was on the outside.  While she was trying to understand the implications of her work, Wilkins leaked her pictures to Watson.  They proved to be the vital piece in the jig saw that enabled Watson and Crick to announce that they had unravelled the structure of DNA.

Unfortunately Rosalind died of cancer at age 37, and since Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously, she remains an unsung heroine.

So next time you hear about an important scientific discovery, remember that scientists are all too human, and sometimes find it difficult to share the credit.