How Rosalind Franklin changed history

Summary

The transcript celebrates the centenary of Rosalind Franklin, a pioneering British scientist best known for her X-ray photograph of DNA, 'Photograph 51,' which helped Crick and Watson propose the double helix structure. Beyond DNA, Franklin made groundbreaking contributions to the study of coal structure and viruses, including determining the first detailed virus structure. Despite facing challenges, including her untimely death at 37 from cancer, Franklin's legacy endures. Her meticulous research in X-ray crystallography and dedication to science left an indelible mark on biology and molecular science.

Takeaways

• 🎉 Rosalind Franklin's centenary is celebrated on July 25, recognizing her crucial contributions to science.
• 📸 Rosalind is best known for taking 'Photograph 51' in 1952, an x-ray of DNA that led to the discovery of its double helix structure by Crick and Watson.
• 🧬 Aside from DNA, Franklin made significant advances in two other fields: coal structure and virus structure.
• 🎓 Franklin showed an early interest in science and pursued natural sciences at Newnham College, Cambridge, where she learned about x-ray crystallography.
• 🔥 During WWII, Franklin researched coal microstructures, publishing five papers on the subject and earning her PhD in 1945.
• 🧪 She later worked in Paris, gaining international recognition for her x-ray diffraction work on coal and carbon materials.
• 🔬 In 1951, she joined King's College London to study DNA, refining x-ray methods to capture DNA's structure in two forms: A and B.
• 📸 'Photograph 51,' taken by Franklin, was key in confirming the double helix structure of DNA, though she was not properly credited for her contributions.
• 🦠 After leaving King's, she made groundbreaking discoveries in virus structures, especially tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), showing how RNA was encapsulated in a helical array.
• 💔 Franklin passed away at the age of 37 in 1958, just before her TMV structure was unveiled at the World's Fair in Brussels. Her contributions to science were later fully acknowledged by colleagues like Aaron Klug.

Q & A

Who was Rosalind Franklin and why is she best known?

Rosalind Franklin was a British scientist best known for taking the X-ray photograph of DNA, known as Photograph 51, which led to the discovery of the double helical structure of DNA by Francis Crick and James Watson.

What other significant fields did Rosalind Franklin contribute to besides DNA research?

Rosalind Franklin also made internationally recognized contributions to the study of coal and the structure of viruses, notably determining the first-ever detailed structure of a virus.

What was Photograph 51 and why is it important?

Photograph 51 is an X-ray diffraction image of DNA taken by Rosalind Franklin in 1952. It provided key insights into the helical structure of DNA, helping Watson and Crick to propose the double helix model.

Where did Rosalind Franklin begin her education, and what was one of her early academic interests?

Rosalind Franklin was educated at St. Paul's Girls' School in London, excelling in most subjects except music. By the age of 16, she had chosen science as a career and later studied natural sciences at Newnham College, Cambridge.

What was Rosalind Franklin’s role in the coal research field?

During World War II, Rosalind Franklin conducted research on the microstructures of coal, discovering important insights into how pores and cavities in coal changed upon heating, which contributed to her PhD in 1945.

How did Franklin's expertise in X-ray crystallography contribute to DNA research?

Franklin's expertise in X-ray diffraction, especially of partially disordered materials, allowed her to refine X-ray setups and capture high-quality images like Photograph 51, which were instrumental in understanding DNA's structure.

What led to the misunderstanding between Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins at King's College London?

John Randall, the director of the lab, did not clearly communicate that Franklin and Wilkins would be working on separate DNA projects, leading to a misunderstanding that prevented effective collaboration between the two scientists.

What other major discovery did Franklin make after her work on DNA?

After her work on DNA, Franklin studied the structure of viruses, such as the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), and determined the first detailed structure of any virus, showing how RNA was encapsulated within a helical array of protein subunits.

What were Franklin’s final research projects before her death?

Before her death from ovarian cancer in 1958, Franklin was working on obtaining X-ray images of human poliovirus crystals. She continued working despite her illness until shortly before her death.

How did Aaron Klug honor Rosalind Franklin's work in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech?

In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in 1982, Aaron Klug acknowledged Rosalind Franklin's contributions, stating that she might have stood on the Nobel Prize platform herself had her life not been tragically cut short.