Molecular biologist James Watson helped uncover a hidden form of DNA
Everett Collection: Historical / Alamy Stock Photo
James Watson, one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA, has died in a New York hospice at the age of 97. Along with fellow researchers Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, he received the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the double helix shape of DNA, which laid the foundation for countless innovations throughout the field of biology.
After this revolutionary discovery, Watson became director, president and chancellor of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. Under his leadership, the laboratory expanded significantly, becoming a world leader in the field of molecular biology. He also served as head of the Human Genome Project for two years before resigning in protest of attempts to patent gene sequences.
Despite all this, Watson said New scientist in 2007, he called the books he wrote his greatest achievement, saying: “Someone had to find the double helix. I sped it up a little. But Francis Crick would never have written Double helixand none of the other scientists involved would.” Watson said at the time that he hoped his writing would encourage more young people to take up science.
He faced many controversies throughout his career. The very discovery of the structure of DNA was made possible thanks to X-ray photographs taken by another researcher, Rosalind Franklinwhose work was not recognized in the 1953 paper that won Watson and Crick the Nobel Prize, and Watson was criticized for downplaying her contributions. He was known to be disparaging of other areas of biology and often faced disapproval and even professional censure for comments about both other researchers and marginalized groups in general, leading to his departure from Cold Spring Harbor by 2007.
Despite his many controversies, his academic achievements make him one of the most important scientists of the 20th century. His work has opened the door to entirely new areas of research, giving us insight into how hereditary information is stored, the relationships between species in the tree of life, and new ways to treat genetic diseases.
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