Today is International Women's Day. The media is full of tributes to remarkable women -- athletes, entertainers, scientists, educators, artists, writers, leaders, adventurers, supersheroes, etc. I'm going to jump on the bandwagon with a tribute of my own.
Chemist Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) discovered the double-helix structure of DNA in1953. Most
often, the "discovery" of DNA structure is attributed to biologist James Watson and physicist Francis Crick, who received the Nobel Prize for their research in 1962. While it's true the two had theorized the double-helix structure, it was not until they saw the work of Franklin and a graduate student she was supervising in 1953 that they had much needed evidence to further shape and support their theory. Franklin had been using the technique of x-ray diffraction to produce images of DNA, and one of those images, known as Photograph 51, was shown to Watson and Crick by another researcher, without Franklin's knowledge. They used the information from the image to build upon their theory. Even though Franklin's discoveries were foundational to DNA research, her work was treated by the scientific community as a footnote to Watson and Crick's efforts.
Today, I am a direct beneficiary of DNA research. My diagnosis involved genomic testing, and the treatment I am on, Xalkori, was designed to treat specific genetic fusions and rearrangements known as ALK and ROS-1. I'm grateful for Rosalind Franklin's contribution to DNA research, since her work is the foundation for what's keeping me alive today. Sadly, Franklin died young of ovarian cancer, a disease which, like other cancers, is being treated now at the molecular level, again, thanks to the foundation she helped build.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing!
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