mar 1, 1952 - 1952: Rosalind Franklin photographs crystallized DNA fibres

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Rosalind Franklin was born in London in 1920 and conducted a large portion of the research which eventually led to the understanding of the structure of DNA - a major achievement at a time when only men were allowed in some universities' dining rooms.

After achieving a doctorate in physical chemistry from Cambridge University in 1945, she spent three years at the Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de L'Etat in Paris, learning the X-Ray diffraction techniques that would make her name. Then, in 1951, she returned to London to work as a research associate in John Randall's laboratory at King's College.

Franklin's role was to set up and improve the X-ray crystallography unit at King's College. She worked with the scientist Maurice Wilkins, and a student, Raymond Gosling, and was able to produce two sets of high-resolution photographs of DNA fibres. Using the photographs, she calculated the dimensions of the strands and also deduced that the phosphates were on the outside of what was probably a helical structure.

Franklin's photographs were described as, "the most beautiful X-ray photographs of any substance ever taken" by J. D. Bernal, and between 1951 and 1953 her research came close to discovering the structure of DNA. Unfortunately, she was ultimately beaten to the post by Thomas Watson and Frances Crick.

The above image shows the original samples of DNA which were given to Maurice Wilkins by Swiss biochemist Rudolf Signer. PhD student Raymond Gosling then used the samples to produce the first crystals of DNA and, with Rosalind Franklin, used them for the next generation of X-ray images.

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