The Truth About DNA
Everybody is uniquely made up of double helical DNA. We know this because of one woman, Rosalind Franklin.
Rosalind Franklin and Photograph 51. King’s College London Archives.
Written by Katie Buckridge
Everybody is uniquely made up of double helical DNA, which we know because of one woman: Rosalind Franklin. The first photo of DNA was taken in May of 1952, which shows the structure of DNA as a double helix. This allowed for many new discoveries in the scientific world, but it took years to prove and all the credit went to the wrong person. The famous photo 52 is now known as the work of Rosalind Franklin and her assistant Raymond Gosling but, prior to this valid accreditation, went to two men: James Watson and Francis Crick. Rosalind Franklin fought for her space in the scientific world and is the true reason we have such foundational knowledge today.
First of all, the physical and scientific work used for this discovery were brand new. Franklin took many different photos of DNA fibers by using a very focused x-ray tube. The science she used for the photo is also called the Franklin crystallography experiment. Taking these photographs was extremely new to the scientific world and took many, many tries to get a clear photo let alone a clear photo of DNA.The process of taking these photos exposed the scientists to harmful radiation if they did not take breaks and use the proper safety equipment. Rosalind Franklin knew this but lied on mandatory protocall papers, regarding their time exposed to radiation and what equipment they used to protect themselves so she could work longer than allowed. This immense amount of radiation Franklin was exposed to caused many health issues.
As a woman in the 1940-50s, there was a lot of discrimination and sexism in her line of work. Even her own family did not support her passion for science and chemistry. She grew up in England but moved to Paris after World War II. Her parents, Muriel and Ellis Franklin, disapproved of this and encouraged Rosalind to settle down and have a husband and children, but Rosalind did not listen to her parents and focused on her career (Rosalind Franklin never got married). Her search for equality and a working environment she could focus on science eventually brought her back to England and focused specifically on crystallography. She worked at Kings College with her trusting assistant, and close friend, Raymond Gosling.
While working at King's College, she already knew and disliked Crick and Watson. She worked closely with them for some time and eventually left her job location to leave the uncomfortable situation they caused. They knew she was close to discovering the secrets of DNA and kept a close eye on her. Soon after taking the photo 52, Franklin's discovery was taken without her permission. A man named Wilkins worked separately from Rosalind and showed Crick and Watson the photo. They copied her photo, made a model of a DNA strand, and published the model before Rosalind could stop them. They got a lot of praise for the model and were known as the photographers for years.
James Watson and Francis Crick with their DNA model at the Cavendish Laboratories in 1953. Science History Institute.
Due to the exposure to radiation Franklin endured, she died of ovarian cancer at age 38. She died before she could get credit for her work but fought all her life: dedicating every minute she could to her science, lying to loved ones about her health just to work. Today, we know the truth and continue to share her story for every woman discriminated against who deserves justice.
Sources
Cobb, Matthew. “Sexism in Science: Did Watson and Crick Really Steal Rosalind Franklin’s Data?” The Guardian, 23 June 2015, www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/23/sexism-in-science-did-watson-and-crick-really-steal-rosalind-franklins-data#:~:text=Those%20numbers%20were%20unwittingly%20provided. Accessed 25 Oct. 2023.
King's College University . “Photo 51 and the Discovery of DNA’s Structure | Feature from King’s College London.” Www.kcl.ac.uk, 25 Apr. 2020, www.kcl.ac.uk/photo-51-and-the-discovery-of-dna#:~:text=Photo%2051%20is%20one%20of.
Science History Institute . “Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins.” Science History Institute, sciencehistory.org/education/scientific-biographies/james-watson-francis-crick-maurice-wilkins-and-rosalind-franklin/.
