Rosalind Franklin's scientific discovery has shaped our knowledge of DNA as we know it.
Franklin was born on July 25th, 1920. She had a knack for science ever since she was a child. After having pursued a degree in chemistry and physics, she continued in higher education. She was educated in performing x-ray crystallography, which later enabled her to produce the famous “photograph 51” that outlined the structure of DNA.
She had started off by researching DNA, a hot topic at the time with buzz surrounding the findings of renowned scientists, Watson and Crick. Rosalind worked tirelessly to deepen her understanding of DNA structure and happened upon a key discovery that had not yet been discussed. However, due to her cantankerous nature and gender, despite having all the evidence to support her ideas, it was extremely difficult for her to figure out the meaning of this evidence on her own. It was due to this that Franklin eventually left the field and the toxic atmosphere of Cambridge.
Wilkins, her colleague at Cambridge, who worked on the same topic, was at odds with her. Regardless of his intention, he had shared her data with Watson and Crick without her knowledge. Watson and Crick immediately used her results without consent to conduct their own calculation which led to their discovery of the double helix structure and complementary strands. Interestingly enough, Franklin had once presented her idea to a crowd that Watson himself happened to be in, but he was too occupied in mocking her and missed the significance of the information she was presenting.
After she had died of ovarian cancer (not surprising as this feminine cancer had lacked treatment options at the time), Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were awarded the Nobel prize for the discovery. It should be noted that the Nobel prize cannot be awarded posthumously, so even after the scientific community happened upon the truth, it was too late to give Rosalind proper recognition. While people often accentuate this one unfortunate instance in Rosalind’s career, the fact is, many of her other accomplishments also went overlooked. Her papers on the structures and uses of coal and graphite were used in the development of the gas masks that helped keep British soldiers safer during World War II and her work inspired another fellow scientist to make advancements that won them a Nobel prize.
It is important to acknowledge the sexism and anti-Semitism she suffered through, but they should not be the cloud that covers her other precious contributions to microbiology. Without Rosalind Franklin’s groundbreaking work, it may have taken another decade before the double helix structure of DNA had been fully realized.
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