Recognising a vital contribution to science - Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind never knew how much her work had contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure.
Rosalind Franklin has been announced as the latest in our 175 Faces of Chemistry profiles, coinciding with what would have been her 95th birthday.
175 Faces of Chemistry celebrates the diversity of individuals within our community who have helped shape chemistry and science as a whole both past and present and identify role models and ambassadors for the future generation of chemists.
Born in London on 25 July 1920, Rosalind Franklin was an X-ray crystallographer who is best known for her pioneering work into the discovery of the structure of DNA. However, when Rosalind died of ovarian cancer, aged only 37, she was unaware of how much her work had actually contributed to this discovery.
Whilst Rosalind was working at King’s College London, her X-ray images of DNA were shown to James Watson and Francis Crick, without her knowledge. Watson and Crick published their model in the journal Nature in 1953 but did not mention Rosalind’s X-ray images.
On Rosalind's 175 Faces of Chemistry profile, writer and biographer Jenifer Glynn gives an insight into the tragically short, yet nonetheless illustrious life of her older sister, Rosalind Franklin.
175 Faces of Chemistry was launched by Professor Lesley Yellowlees, our first female president and a vocal campaigner for equality and diversity within the chemical sciences.
Leading to our 175th anniversary in February 2016, we will profile 175 different scientists who represent diversity in its broadest sense.
We are dedicated to growing an inclusive environment within the chemical science community and building on the skills, knowledge and experience of early career chemists through to established chemists regardless of gender, age, disability, career pathway or social, ethnic or financial background.
