The following reflects points for discussion raised in my University course in History of Biology.
1. The conventional history is that Watson & Crick worked on the structure of DNA by constructing models of the bases, and that Watson discovered the base pairing of A+T and G+C, consistent with a two strand model, bases inside. 2. Wilkins showed Watson the famous "Photo 51" made by Franklin, inspection of which confirmed the double helical structure. This was done without Franklin's knowledge or permission. 3. Watson, Crick, & Wilkins received the Nobel prize in 1962. By this time Franklin was dead of cancer. Nobel Prizes are not awarded to more than three persons, nor posthumously. Watson damaged Franklin's reputation by publication of "The Double Helix" in 1968, which portrayed Franklin in a stereotypical anti-woman manner, and altered facts. 4. Watson's reputation has subsequently been trashed, as a consequence of the revisionist interpretation of DNA, and other other indiscretions. This despite a major role as Director of the Cold Spring Harbor lab, and the Human Genome Project.
The revisionist view, as presented in the BBC film, is that Photo 51 was in effect stolen from Franklin, and that the photo in and of itself proves the Double Helical structure. Franklin was the victim of anti-woman attitudes of the 1950s, and is only now receiving credit for her past and subsequent work before her death. Franklin should have received the Nobel prize.
The revisionist view may be countered by close inspection of facts. Photo 51 was in fact made by Franklin's graduate student Gosling, at Franklin's direction. The photo remained un-analyzed for many months. The critical feature of DNA is arguably the base pairing recognized by Watson; evidence generally available suggested a two or three strand helical structure. Photo 51 did not and could not reveal this pairing. Crucially: Franklin decided move to another laboratory, and work on a different project. In keeping with standard practice, she left her scientific notebooks on the DNA project, and in fact gave them to Wilkins (via Gosling) with the instruction to "do what he wanted" with them. Thereafter, Wilkins showed the unanalyzed Photo 51 to Watson, who recognized its significance. Arguably, Wilkins had blanket authority over the notebooks, and did not require permission or notification to Franklin when he did so. Franklin could have made a detailed analysis of Photo 51 at any time, but choose not to.
Watson & Crick published their structure of DNA, which emphasized base pairing and immediately implied a copying mechanism for genes. Franklin & Gosling published an accompanying paper with the physical analysis of the double helical structure, including Photo 51. The structure drawn in the former was the essence of the discovery.
As regards the Nobel prize: Rules are rules. Contrary to ordinary understanding, the Nobel is typically awarded for a body of work rather than a single discovery. Wilkins spent years doing the necessary confirmatory experiments on DNA structure. Crick in particular was deeply involved in development of the Genetic Code.
1. The conventional history is that Watson & Crick worked on the structure of DNA by constructing models of the bases, and that Watson discovered the base pairing of A+T and G+C, consistent with a two strand model, bases inside. 2. Wilkins showed Watson the famous "Photo 51" made by Franklin, inspection of which confirmed the double helical structure. This was done without Franklin's knowledge or permission. 3. Watson, Crick, & Wilkins received the Nobel prize in 1962. By this time Franklin was dead of cancer. Nobel Prizes are not awarded to more than three persons, nor posthumously. Watson damaged Franklin's reputation by publication of "The Double Helix" in 1968, which portrayed Franklin in a stereotypical anti-woman manner, and altered facts. 4. Watson's reputation has subsequently been trashed, as a consequence of the revisionist interpretation of DNA, and other other indiscretions. This despite a major role as Director of the Cold Spring Harbor lab, and the Human Genome Project.
The revisionist view, as presented in the BBC film, is that Photo 51 was in effect stolen from Franklin, and that the photo in and of itself proves the Double Helical structure. Franklin was the victim of anti-woman attitudes of the 1950s, and is only now receiving credit for her past and subsequent work before her death. Franklin should have received the Nobel prize.
The revisionist view may be countered by close inspection of facts. Photo 51 was in fact made by Franklin's graduate student Gosling, at Franklin's direction. The photo remained un-analyzed for many months. The critical feature of DNA is arguably the base pairing recognized by Watson; evidence generally available suggested a two or three strand helical structure. Photo 51 did not and could not reveal this pairing. Crucially: Franklin decided move to another laboratory, and work on a different project. In keeping with standard practice, she left her scientific notebooks on the DNA project, and in fact gave them to Wilkins (via Gosling) with the instruction to "do what he wanted" with them. Thereafter, Wilkins showed the unanalyzed Photo 51 to Watson, who recognized its significance. Arguably, Wilkins had blanket authority over the notebooks, and did not require permission or notification to Franklin when he did so. Franklin could have made a detailed analysis of Photo 51 at any time, but choose not to.
Watson & Crick published their structure of DNA, which emphasized base pairing and immediately implied a copying mechanism for genes. Franklin & Gosling published an accompanying paper with the physical analysis of the double helical structure, including Photo 51. The structure drawn in the former was the essence of the discovery.
As regards the Nobel prize: Rules are rules. Contrary to ordinary understanding, the Nobel is typically awarded for a body of work rather than a single discovery. Wilkins spent years doing the necessary confirmatory experiments on DNA structure. Crick in particular was deeply involved in development of the Genetic Code.
