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Rosalind Franklin (October 25, 2002, Two)

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Program Summary

In 1962, British scientists James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in recognition of their work in mapping the structure of DNA. Not mentioned, however, was a young Englishwoman without whose research the other three would never have achieved such a pinnacle. Rosalind Franklin, who died of cancer in 1958 at the age of 37, produced the first clear photograph of the double helix using a technique called x-ray crystallography. Watson and Crick used the photograph without Franklin’s knowledge to advance their own studies, and they published their results before Franklin had the chance.

Rosalind Franklin’s contribution to DNA mapping was ignored for decades. Many people feel this snub was due to the misogynist attitude of the scientific world of that day as well as Franklin’s abrasive personality. Times have changed, though. The x-ray crystallography laboratory at London’s Birkbeck College is named after her, and Britain’s Royal Society has this year created the Rosalind Franklin Award, to be given to scientists who have made significant contributions to science, engineering, and technology.

Guests

Nancy Lane, department of zoology at the University of Cambridge, presidentof the Institute of Biology and director of the Cambridge Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Initiative, Cambridge, UK

Brenda Maddox, author of Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA (HarperCollins, 2002),London

Related Links and Resources

Rosalind Franklin (1920–1958)

Rosalind Elsie Franklin: Pioneer Molecular Biologist

National Public Radio, October 25, 2002: Rosalind Franklin: Dark Lady of DNA

Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1962

For Discussion:

• Why was it so important to discover the structure of DNA?
• What consequences have knowing its structure had on modern genetics?
• Many people feel that Franklin was the victim of male chauvinism. Do you agree?
• Do you think her treatment was fair?
• Why hasn’t she been awarded the Nobel Prize posthumously?
• Do women of today have the same difficulties getting ahead in the field of science that Franklin did?

Activities

Building blocks of life. Read Rosalind Franklin’s biography at A Science Odyssey’s People and Discoveries: Rosalind Franklin, then follow the link to the DNA Workshop, where students can learn about DNA through interactive lessons. Have students work in pairs to build DNA models.

She gets under their skin. To get an idea of Franklin’s personality, read a few of her letters at Rosalind Franklin. Students will also find opinions of her by her fellow scientists and an excerpt from Brenda Maddox’s book.

A different world. Women have contributed to science and medicine for hundreds of years. At Women in Science, a Thinkquest student project, students can read dozens of biographies of female doctors and scientists past and present. This site links to SEED (Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development), which contains interviews with men and women in science and technology. Students can compare and contrast the experiences of today’s female scientists with the struggles of those of the past (even as recently as the 1970s). They are also encouraged to write directly to the experts.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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