The Double Helix Structure of DNA: James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin

This engaging scientific biography takes a careful look at the team—and team dynamics—that brought about the momentous discovery of DNA’s structure. Brief personal histories describe how, in the early 1950s, the four scientists independently arrived at two of the United Kingdom’s top laboratories, where they began to influence one another’s research. James Watson and Francis Crick’s easy partnership is a contrast to Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin’s more difficult one, but Wilkins and Franklin’s work with X-ray crystallography emerges as a vital contribution to genetic science. The race to unlock DNA’s secrets provides suspense, while clear text, captioned diagrams, and illuminating photographs help explain the science of DNA. The conclusion discusses modern developments in genetic science and their current and potential applications, including gene splicing for medicinal purposes. Text boxes throughout the book add meaningful context. Back matter contains a time line of important events, a glossary, sections for those seeking more information and further reading, a link to publisher-selected Web sites, a bibliography, and an index.