Thursday, September 30, 2010

Rivalry Among DNA Sleuths Comes Alive in Letters

Read this very interesting article from the NY Times by Nicholas Wade. It is based on information discovered in long lost letters from one of the principals involved in the discovery of the structure of DNA. It reinforces some of the more recently published information on how poorly Rosalind Franklin was treated by her fellow scientists.

Nicholas Wade DNA Rivalry Article

The article seems to support the story depicted in the 1986 movie, "Race for the Double Helix", in which Jeff Goldblum played James Watson and Timothy Pigott-Smith played Francis Crick.

In 1975, Anne Sayre wrote the book "Rosalind Franklin and DNA" in answer to the unflattering picture presented by James Watson's 1968 book "The Double Helix". More recently Brenda Maddox's book "Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA" resurrected interest in the role this female researcher played in discovering the structure of DNA.

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