RosalindFranklin 　　Born:London,England,July25,1920 　　Died:London,England,April16,1958 　　PioneerMolecularBiologist 　　ThereisprobablynootherwomanscientistwithasmuchcontroversysurroundingherlifeandworkasRosalindFranklin.Franklinwasresponsibleformuchoftheresearchanddiscoveryworkthatledtotheunderstandingofthestructureofdeoxyribonucleicacid,DNA.ThestoryofDNAisataleofcompetitionandintrigue,toldonewayinJamesWatson'sbookTheDoubleHelix,andquiteanotherinAnneSayre'sstudy,RosalindFranklinandDNA.JamesWatson,FrancisCrick,andMauriceWilkinsreceivedaNobelPrizeforthedouble-helixmodelofDNAin1962,fouryearsafterFranklin'sdeathatage37fromovariancancer. 　　Franklinexcelledatscienceandattendedoneofthefewgirls'schoolsinLondonthattaughtphysicsandchemistry.Whenshewas15,shedecidedtobecomeascientist.HerfatherwasdecidedlyagainsthighereducationforwomenandwantedRosalindtobeasocialworker.Ultimatelyherelented,andin1938sheenrolledatNewnhamCollege,Cambridge,graduatingin1941.Sheheldagraduatefellowshipforayear,butquitin1942toworkattheBritishCoalUtilizationResearchAssociation,whereshemadefundamentalstudiesofcarbonandgraphitemicrostructures.Thisworkwasthebasisofherdoctorateinphysicalchemistry,whichsheearnedfromCambridgeUniversityin1945. 　　AfterCambridge,shespentthreeproductiveyears(1947-1950)inParisattheLaboratoireCentraldesServicesChimiquesdeL'Etat,whereshelearnedX-raydiffractiontechniques.In1951,shereturnedtoEnglandasaresearchassociateinJohnRandall'slaboratoryatKing'sCollege,London. 　　ItwasinRandall'slabthatshecrossedpathswithMauriceWilkins.SheandWilkinsledseparateresearchgroupsandhadseparateprojects,althoughbothwereconcernedwithDNA.WhenRandallgaveFranklinresponsibilityforherDNAproject,noonehadworkedonitformonths.Wilkinswasawayatthetime,andwhenhereturnedhemisunderstoodherrole,behavingasthoughshewereatechnicalassistant.Bothscientistswereactuallypeers.Hismistake,acknowledgedbutneverovercome,wasnotsurprisinggiventheclimateforwomenattheuniversitythen.Onlymaleswereallowedintheuniversitydiningrooms,andafterhoursFranklin'scolleagueswenttomen-onlypubs. 　　ButFranklinpersistedontheDNAproject.J.D.BernalcalledherX-rayphotographsofDNA,"themostbeautifulX-rayphotographsofanysubstanceevertaken."Between1951and1953RosalindFranklincameveryclosetosolvingtheDNAstructure.ShewasbeatentopublicationbyCrickandWatsoninpartbecauseofthefrictionbetweenWilkinsandherself.Atonepoint,WilkinsshowedWatsononeofFranklin'scrystallographicportraitsofDNA.Whenhesawthepicture,thesolutionbecameapparenttohim,andtheresultswentintoanarticleinNaturealmostimmediately.Franklin'sworkdidappearasasupportingarticleinthesameissueofthejournal. 　　AdebateabouttheamountofcreditduetoFranklincontinues.WhatisclearisthatshedidhaveameaningfulroleinlearningthestructureofDNAandthatshewasascientistofthefirstrank.FranklinmovedtoJ.D.Bernal'slabatBirkbeckCollege,whereshedidveryfruitfulworkonthetobaccomosaicvirus.Shealsobeganworkonthepoliovirus.Inthesummerof1956,RosalindFranklinbecameillw