Untold History of British Scientist: Contributed to the Discovery of DNA

Vinitha Marimuthu

Clinical Pharmacist, Kauvery Hospitals, Trichy-Cantonment, Tamilnadu

Background

Rosalind Franklin was a British scientist who made significant contributions to the discovery of the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), a constituent of chromosomes that serves to encode genetic information. Franklin also contributed new insight on the structure of viruses, helping to lay the foundation for the field of structural virology. Here are some key facts about her life and work.

Early Life and Education

Franklin was born in London on July 25, 1920, into a prominent family of Anglo-Jewish scholars, leaders, and humanitarians who placed a high value on education and service. She attended St. Paul’s Girls’ School before studying physical chemistry at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. After graduating in 1941, she received a fellowship to conduct research in physical chemistry at Cambridge.

Career

Franklin began her career in France, but she began seeking a position in England in 1949. She was awarded a three-year Turner and Newall Fellowship to work in John T. Randall’s Biophysics Unit at King’s College London, where she contributed new insight into the structure of viruses, helping to lay the foundation for the field of structural virology. Franklin’s work on DNA may have remained a quiet footnote in that story had Watson not caricatured her in his 1968 memoir, The Double Helix.

Contribution to DNA Structure

Rosalind Franklin made significant contributions to the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA. Here are her key contributions:

1. X-ray Diffraction Studies: Franklin’s work on X-ray diffraction studies provided crucial clues to the structure of DNA. She used X-ray crystallography to analyze the patterns formed by DNA fibers, which allowed her to determine the helical nature of DNA and its dimensions.

2. Differentiation of A and B Forms: Franklin clearly differentiated the A and B forms of DNA, which helped in understanding the different conformations of the DNA molecule.

3. Collaboration and Data Sharing: Contrary to previous beliefs, it is now understood that Franklin collaborated and shared data with James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. Her data, including the famous Photo, played a crucial role in Watson and Crick’s development of the double helix model of DNA.

Recognition of Franklin’s Contribution
Franklin’s contributions to the discovery of DNA’s structure were initially overlooked, but her role has been increasingly recognized in recent years.
Franklin’s work on X-ray diffraction studies provided crucial clues to the structure of DNA and quantitatively confirmed the helical structure of DNA. Her data were used by James Watson and Francis Crick to develop their model of the DNA double helix
She has become a role model for women in science, as she faced not only the routine sexism of her time but also more subtle forms of discrimination embedded in the scientific community
The Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award has been awarded annually since 2003 to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in any field of STEM and to support the promotion of women in STEM.

Legacy

Franklin’s legacy lives on in her science, which continues to bring inestimable value to humankind, in her love for the natural world, and in her character. She set high standards for herself and others and diligently pursued answers to her questions.

Franklin was not given this great honor although her work was an important contribution to Watson, Crick and Wilkins’ discovery. She died very young in 1958 at the age of 38 and the Nobel Prize is not given posthumously.

Despite gender disparity and discrimination, she relentlessly pursued the answers to questions that have improved health and longevity around the world.

Conclusion

In Summary, Rosalind Franklin was a brilliant scientist who made significant contributions to the understanding of the molecular structure of DNA.

In collaboration with Watson, Crick, and Wilkins led to the discovery of the structure of DNA through data sharing, X-ray diffraction studies, differentiation of DNA forms, and recognition of her contribution.
Her work on X-ray diffraction studies provided crucial clues to the structure of DNA and quantitatively confirmed the helical structure of DNA, which has had a profound impact on modern biotechnology and medicine!
Franklin spent the last five years of her life studying the structure of plant viruses and passed away in 1958.
Despite gender disparity and discrimination, she relentlessly pursued the answers to questions that have improved health and longevity around the world.

References

Franklin RE., Gosling RG. Molecular Configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate. Nature 1953;171:740-741.
Rosalind Franklin. Biography, Facts, & DNA – Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosalind-Franklin (Accessed on 08/08/2023).
Biographical Overview | Rosalind Franklin – Profiles in Science. https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/spotlight/kr/feature/biographical (Accessed on 08/08/2023)
Rosalind Franklin: A Crucial Contribution. Learn Science at Scitable – Nature. https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/rosalind-franklin-a-crucial-contribution-6538012/#:~:text=Rosalind%20Franklin%20made%20a%20crucial,by%20one%20of%20her%20coworkers. (Accessed on 08/08/2023).
Untangling Rosalind Franklin’s Role in DNA Discovery. Newyork times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/science/rosalind-franklin-dna.html#:~:text=297-,Untangling%20Rosalind%20Franklin’s%20Role%20in%20DNA%20Discovery%2C%2070%20Years%20On,was%20an%20%E2%80%9Cequal%20contributor.%E2%80%9D. (Accessed on 08/08/2023).
Davies Kevin. Rosalind Franklin Scientist: On the centenary of her birth, a look back at the fundamental role of Rosalind Franklin in unravelling the structure of the double helix in 1953. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News. 2020;40(7):8-9.

Ms. Shanthi Helen Sophia

Senior Staff nurse

Untold History of British Scientist: Contributed to the Discovery of DNA