1952 - Photo 51, which led to the discovery of the DNA double helix

* Franklin was an X-ray crystallographer whose work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA (ribonucleic acid), viruses, coal, and graphite. * Using X-ray crystallography, Franklin is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA while at King's College London, particularly Photo 51, which led to the discovery of the DNA double helix * Using this photo, Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962. * Watson suggested that Franklin would have ideally been awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Wilkins but it was not possible because the pre-1974 rule dictated that a Nobel prize could not be awarded posthumously.

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Category:
X-ray crystallography

Completion Status:
yes

Patent Number:
N/A

Co-Inventor:
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