ROSALIND FRANKLIN

(JULY 25,1920 – APRIL 16,1958)

SPOTLIGHTON

Biophysicist, Physical Chemist and Molecular Biologist

FACTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS British chemist Rosalind Franklin is best

known for her role in the discovery of the structure of DNA, and for her pioneering use of X-ray diffraction

1945 – Franklin earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Cambridge University

1946 - Franklin went to the Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de l'Etat in Paris, she worked with crystallographer Jacques Mering where he taught her X-ray diffraction

1951 – Franklin works as a research associate at King’s College in London. She was to be the only experienced experimental diffraction researcher at King's College at the time

PHOTO 51 – X-RAY DIFFRACTION IMAGE OF DNA

Kings College, LondonSir John RandallMaurice WilkinsRosalind FranklinRaymond Gosling

Cambridge UJames WatsonFrancis Crick

Franklin and Gosling discovered that there were two forms of DNA: at high humidity, the DNA fibre became long and thin; when it was dried it became short and fat.These forms were termed DNA "B" and "A" respectively.

FACTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 1953 – Wilkins discloses Franklin’s Photo 51 to James

Watson who was working on his own DNA model with Francis Crick

1953 – Watson and Crick used what they saw in her Photo 51 and published their model of DNA and receives the Nobel Prize in 1962

1953 – Franklin goes to Birkbeck College where she studied the tobacco mosaic virus, RNA and coal

Franklin publishes 17 papers on viruses and her group laid the foundations for structural virology (study of viruses)

Franklin develops ovarian cancer and dies at age 37 in 1958

POSTHUMOUS RECOGNITION

1992, English Heritage placed a blue plaque at 107, Donovan Court

1993, King's College London placed a blue plaque on its outside wall

1997, the asteroid discovered in 1997 was named 9241 Rosfranklin

1998, National Portrait Gallery in London added Rosalind Franklin's portrait next to those of Francis Crick, James Watson and Maurice Wilkins

2001, the American National Cancer Institute established the Rosalind E. Franklin Award for women in cancer research

2003, the Royal Society established the Rosalind Franklin Award, for an outstanding contribution to any area of natural science, engineering or technology

2004, Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, was renamed the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science at Illinois

2008, Columbia University awarded an Honorary Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize to Rosalind Franklin, Ph.D., posthumously, "for her seminal contributions to the discovery of the structure of DNA“

There are college residences, a laboratory, buildings, a fellowship have been renamed/named in her honor

As a scientist Miss [Rosalind] Franklin was distinguished by extreme clarity and perfection in everything she undertook. Her photographs are among the most beautiful X-ray photographs of any substance ever taken. John Desmond Bernal

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