Rosalind Franklin and DNA Structure

Rosalind Franklin: A British Chemist

• Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist born in London in 1920.
• She earned a degree in physical chemistry from the University of Cambridge in 1941.
• Franklin researched the chemical structure of coal and graphite before pursuing a doctorate in 1945.
• In 1947, she moved to Paris to study X-ray crystallography.
• X-ray crystallography is the technique used to determine molecular structure.
• Her expertise in this field was crucial for understanding DNA's structure and played a vital role in 20th-century science.

The DNA Race

• During the 1950s, scientists globally raced to understand DNA's molecular structure.
• DNA encodes genetic information crucial for all living beings.
• James Watson and Francis Crick were attempting to decipher DNA's structure in Cambridge in 1951.
• Franklin contributed significant work in the pursuit of this understanding.

Franklin's Career Milestones

• In 1942, she became a researcher at BCURA.
• She received training and became an X-ray crystallographer under French engineer Jacques Mering in 1947.
• She joined King's College, London in 1951, and her X-ray diffraction work provided crucial data.
• Franklin's 1952 image clearly revealed DNA's double helix structure, a significant milestone.
• Later, she moved to Birkbeck College, London, and focused on crop viruses.