Rosalind Franklin c.facebook.comHave you ever had to stand in the sidelines with little elseto do but bite the inside of your cheeks, while you watch someone else get allthe credit for your work? Was their fanfare so big that when all was said anddone, you were less than an afterthought to your own accomplishment?If you paid attention in science class, chances are you’veheard of Francis Crick and James Watson. But you may not have heard aboutRosalind Franklin.In a pre-feminist age where most women stayed pretty farfrom the lab, Franklin broke ground with scientific discovery. She made a name for herself as abiophysicist, physical chemist and an X-ray crystallographer. In fact, she wasso good, that Crick and Watson made their groundbreaking discovery of DNA basedon her preliminary research.She made revolutionary discoveries with regard to DNA.Unpublished drafts of her paper show her reaching the same conclusions, asCrick and Watson. She even caught a mistake on Crick and Watson’s diagram,pointing it out to them. She received little accolade for her part, aside from aposthumous mention of the huge role she played in Watson’s book. Encouraged by her father, she took physics and chemistry ata very young age. She decided at 15 that she wanted to be a scientist. Besidesdoing extensive research on physical chemistry, gas phase chromotology, carbonand coal, molecular biology.She studied X-ray diffraction in Paris. She got a researchfellowship at Kings College in London. She wanted her to use the diffractiontechniques on DNA, instead of X-rays.Shockingly, she was content to stand in the shadows withregard to this groundbreaking discovery. She was just interested in the truthbeing known. She just continued her work as usual. She went on to publish 17papers after this discovery.In The Double Helix byWatson characterizes her has difficult and stubborn. But who wouldn’t bedifficult and stubborn with regard to their passions? She had a habit oflooking people directly in the eyes could sometimes be perceived as abrasive,and probably a little unnerving especially to men of that day.She later teamed up with soft-spoken, Maurice Wilkins, whomshe didn’t get along with too well. He was quiet and shy contrasted with her perceiveddomineering nature, and they disagreed about the structure of DNA. He ended up stealing her research.Astoundingly, she later became friends with Crick andWatson. The DNA race was never discussed.Watson also had an about face with regard to Franklin, whoended his book with a nice tribute to her.In those days, they didn’t know the importance of wearing a lead apronwhile doing X-rays. As a result she developed ovarian cancer. She died 4 yearsbefore Watson and Crick received the Nobel prize for “their” discovery.c. 2012

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