Rosalind Franklin was a chemist and X-ray crystallographer who researched the structure of carbon compounds, DNA, and viruses. Although her obituary recognized her primarily as a virus researcher, she is best known today for Photo 51. The image has become associated with her then-unrecognized contributions to the 1962 Nobel Prize for the model of DNA's structure, for which she has been called the “dark lady of DNA.”
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Though James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins are credited with discovering the DNA double helix, it incorporated Rosalind Franklin's unpublished data. Photo 51, her famous DNA image, took more than 100 hours to produce and a year’s worth of analysis to interpret.
Franklin's work revealed the role of ribonucleic acid in virus infectivity, contributing to a foundational understanding of genetics and virology. Her molecular model of the virus was featured as the centerpiece at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair.
Rosalind Franklin and Raymond Gosling captured the photo after bombarding DNA fibers with X-rays and observing how they deflected. The photo had a 62-hour exposure time and indicated a helical structure for DNA.
Called air wardens, these individuals patrolled streets overnight to provide emergency aid, enforce blackouts, and help locate survivors in the rubble. Many were older veterans or teens bending age rules to serve their communities.
X-ray diffraction involves rotating a crystal in an X-ray beam while a detector captures the resulting diffraction patterns, which depend on the crystal’s internal structure. The mathematical principles behind the technique won the 1915 Nobel Prize and improved crystallography.
During World War II, the British Coal Utilisation Research Association sought to improve the efficiency of coal as an energy source and studied the effectiveness of charcoal filters to keep soldiers safe. Rosalind Franklin's research there formed the basis of her PhD and led to five scientific papers.
Marie Curie and her husband isolated polonium and radium despite poor lab conditions and financial hardship. President Harding, on behalf of the women of America, presented her with one gram of radium in 1921 in recognition of her service to science.
Graphite can withstand temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees Celsius, allowing it to contain molten metal in steel production. Rosalind Franklin identified which carbon compounds become graphite and laid the groundwork for their use in industrial applications.
To capture the X-ray diffraction image of DNA from the thymus of a calf, Franklin built a humidity-controlling camera to isolate the B form of DNA. The exposure lasted 60 hours and produced a cross pattern, indicating a helical structure.
Although unpublished, the data reached James Watson and Francis Crick, who worked at another institution. Incorporating her data allowed them to validate their model of DNA, which they published without crediting her.
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