LIFE AND WORK OF JAMES DEWEY WATSON:CO-DISCOVERER OF THE STRUCTURE OF DNA

Presented By:

Kunj Bihari GuptaM.Phil-Ph.D (II Sem)

Center for Biosciences

School of Basic and Applied Sciences

Central University of Punjab

INTRODUCTION• James Dewey Watson, KBE(Hon), Foreign Member of the

Royal Society, is an American molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist.

• Best known as a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick.

• Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning “the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material".

• His life is full of controversies.

• He is also known for provocative comments delivered time to time

CONT…• He successfully launches a worldwide effort to map and

sequenced the human genome.

• He worked many institutions including University of Chicago, Indiana University, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory etc.

• Watson became the Director of the CSHL 1968-1994 then President of CSHL 1994 -2003, and Chancellor from 2003-2007.

• Now he is the Emeritus Chancellor at Watson School of Biological Science, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, United States.

(Source: - <http://www.cshl.edu/gradschool/>)

BRIEF BIO-DATA

Full name James Dewery Watson

Father's name J.D. Watson

Mother's name Jean Mitchell

Date of Birth April 6th,1928

Nationality American

Ph.D. Indiana University in 1950

Thesis The Biological Properties of X-Ray Inactivated Bacteriophage

Doctoral advisor Salvador Luria

Win Nobel prize Physiology or Medicine in 1962

Spouse Elizabeth Watson

Sons Rufus Robert Watson (b. 1970) and Duncan James Watson (b. 1972)

EARLY LIFE OF WATSON

• Watson was born in Chicago, USA, on April 6th, 1928.

• He is only son of Jean Mitchell and J. D. Watson.

• His father was a businessman and also a ornithologist.

• He grew up on the south side of Chicago & also studied till graduation in Chicago.

• As a child, he was bright and inquisitive.

• One of his favorite words was “why?”

• He won $100 as a "Quiz Kid" on a popular radio program just at the age of 12 years.

(From book “Avoid Boring People” by J.D. Watson)

CONT..• Initially Watson was an ornithologist but turn to genetics

after reading a book “What is Life?”

• After become graduate from University of Chicago in year 1947 he went to Indiana University for higher study and gained his PhD in 1950 at the age of 22 years only .

• His PhD supervision was Prof. Salvador Luria a pioneer in bacteriophage research, also a Nobel prize winner of 1969.

• His PhD title was “The Biological Properties of X-Ray Inactivated Bacteriophage”.

(Source:- <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Watson>)

EARLY PROFESSIONAL LIFE

• In year 1950 he went to the laboratory of biochemist Herman Kalckar for postdoctoral research.

• He went to the Cavendish Laboratory in 1951 Where he meets Francis Crick found the common interest in solving the DNA structure.

• Here along with Crick he proposed the 3-dimensional, complementary, double-helical configuration of DNA molecule.

• And publish this work in scientific journal Nature in April 1953 entitled “Molecular structure of nucleic acids, A structure of deoxyribose nucleic acid”

Fig (b):-Double helical structure of DNA as published in 1953

Fig (C):- X-ray diffraction photograph of the DNA double helix taken by Maurice Wilkins & Roslind

Franklin published in 1953

Fig (A):- Snapshot of research paper published by Watson & Crick in Scientific journal Nature in 1953

(Watson & Crick, 1953)

• For this work he got Nobel Prize in year 1962 with Crick and Wilkins in the field of Physiology and Medicine.

Fig:- From left Crick, Wilkins, and Watson during Nobel prize distribution ceremony in 1962

(Source: - <http://www.dnalc.org/view/16431-Gallery-19-1962-Nobel-Prize-winners.html>)

LATE PROFESSIONAL LIFE• Watson joined the CIT as SRF in Biology from 1953 to

1955.

• He was again back in the Cavendish laboratory and working with Crick in year 1955-1956.

• In 1956 he join Harvard University as an Assistant Professor in Department of Biology and year 1958 become Associate Professor, and year 1961 he become Professor till 1976.

• In 1968, he joined the CSHL as a Director till 1994.

• From 1994-2003 he was President of CSHL, and Chancellor from 2003-2007 and till now serves as Chancellor Emeritus of CSHL.

• In 1988 he was appointed as an Associate Director for Human Genome Research of the NIH and, in 1988, Director of the NCHGR but In 1992, Watson resigned his position after successfully launching a worldwide effort to map and sequence the human genome & conflict with NIH director.

• In 2001, he donated the majority of his personal and scientific papers to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives.

(Source: -<http://library.cshl.edu/personal-collections/james-d-watson>)

RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION

• Initially Watson was an ornithologist.

• The main contribution of Watson is to solved the structure

of DNA and tells us that DNA exists in three dimensional

double helix.

• They prove this finding by X-ray crystallography method.

• This work was published in scientific journal Nature with title

“A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid,” in year 1953.

• Along with Crick, Watson builds the model of double helical

structure of DNA.

• When he was in CIT, his research is mainly X-ray diffraction

studies of RNA.

• In Harvard his major research interest was the role of RNA in

protein synthesis.

• In CSHL Watson steered the laboratory into the field of tumor

virology, from which emerged our present understanding of

oncogenes and the molecular basis of cancer.

• He also successfully launching a worldwide effort to map and

sequence the human genome when he was director of

NCHGR of NIH.

BOOKS WRITTEN

• The Molecular Biology of the Gene (1965, 1970, 1976, 1987)

• The Double Helix (1968)

• The DNA Story (1981)

• The Molecular Biology of the Cell (1983, 1989, 1994)

• Recombinant DNA: A Short Course (1983, 1992)

• A Passion for DNA (2000)

• Genes, Girls, and Gamow: After the Double Helix (2002)

• DNA: The Secret of Life (2003)

• Avoid Boring People: Lessons from a Life in Science (2007)

(Source: -<http://library.cshl.edu/personal-collections/james-d-watson>)

POLITICAL ACTIVISM

During his tenure as a professor at Harvard, Watson participated in several political protests:-

1:- Vietnam War

2:- Nuclear proliferation & environmentalism (1975)

3:- Against the left wing (2007)

(Source:- <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Watson>)

CONTROVERSIES

• Watson’s life was full of controversies, one of the

major controversies is related to the discovery of

double helical structure of DNA. unauthorized use of

DNA X-ray diffraction data collected by Rosalind

Franklin and Raymond Gosling.

(Pray, 2008)

CONFLICTS

Watson’s life was full of conflicts:-

• Fist occur during his fist post-doctorate research.

• Second major conflict occurs with NIH director Bernadine Healy on patent of gene sequences.

(Source:- <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Watson>)

PROVOCATIVE COMMENTS

Throughout his life Watson publically spoke many provocative comments, e.g.:-

• On one of his colleague Rosalind Franklin.

• In 1997, he told that: "If you could find the gene which determines sexuality and a woman decides she doesn't want a homosexual child, well, let her.“

• 2000, he had suggested a link between skin color and sex drive.

• In 2007 he told that "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa," adding that "[all] our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing says not really".

(Source:- <http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12835-james-watson-retires-amidst-race-controversy.html#.UySO6IW3snB>)

HONORSHe was honored by more then 50 different prestigious

awards/medals few are:-

• The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine(1962).

• The Copley Medal of the British Royal Society (1993).

• Lomonosov Gold Medal, Russian Academy of Sciences (1995)

• Honorary Knighthood of the British Empire (2002).

• The Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award (2006)

• The Gregor Mendel Medal (2008)(Source: - <http://library.cshl.edu/personal-

collections/james-d-watson>)

MEMBERSHIPS

He is a member of many prestigious international and national, government and NGO like:-

• The National Academy of Sciences (1962)

• The Royal Society, London (1981)

• The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (1996)

• The National Academy of Sciences, India (2001)

• Many other top Universities like Oxford, Harvard, CSHL, Cambridge, Institute of Biology(London), many Chinese university also.

(Source :-< http://library.cshl.edu/personal-collections/james-d-watson>)

HONORARY DEGREES RECEIVED

He received more then 35 honorary degrees from different universities across the world few importants are:-

• D.Sc., University of Chicago, USA, (1961)

• D.Sc., Indiana University, USA, (1963)

• D.Sc., Harvard University, USA, (1978)

• D.Sc., University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, (1993)

• Dr.h.c., Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, (1998)

• D.Sc., University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, (1993)

(Sources: -<http://library.cshl.edu/personal-collections/james-d-watson>)

CONCLUSION

• Watson is an excellent scientist and his discovery path braking that it change the traditional biology and generate a new field modern molecular biology.

• He is also a very good leader.

• He was honored many degrees, medals, and membership of many government and non- government organizations all over the world including some.

• He also known for some serious controversies, conflicts and provocative comments.

REFERENCES[CSHL library]Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Library. (2014). Mar, 12.

<http://library.cshl.edu/personal-collections/james-d-watson> Accessed

2014 Mar, 12.[CSHL]Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. (2014). Mar, 12.

<http://www.cshl.edu/gradschool/> Accessed 2014 Mar, 12.

[dnalc]DNA Learning Center. (2014). Mar, 11.<http://www.dnalc.org/view/16437-Biography-19-James-Dewey-Watson-...1>

Accessed 2014 Mar, 11.

<http://www.dnalc.org/view/16431-Gallery-19-1962-Nobel-Prize-winners.html> Accessed 2014 Mar, 10.

[New Scientist] New Scientist. (2014). Mar, 14.<http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12835-james-watson-retires-amidst-race-controversy.html#.UySO6IW3snB> Accessed 2014 Mar, 14.

[Nobel Prize] Nobelprize.org (2014) Mar. 10.

<http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1962/

wat son-bio.html>Accessed 2014 Mar, 10.

Pray, L. (2008). Discovery of DNA structure and function: Watson and Crick.

Nature Education, 1(1).

Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. (1953). Molecular structure of nucleic acids. Nature,

171(4356), 737-738.

Watson, J. D. (2008). Avoid Boring People: And Other Lessons from a Life in

Science: Oxford University Press.

Wikipedia. (2014). Mar, 12.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Watson> Accessed 2014 Mar, 12.