DNA Pioneer James Watson Dies at 97
DNA Pioneer James Watson Dies at 97
James Watson, the American biologist who helped unravel the structure of DNA and changed the course of modern science, has died at the age of 97.
Watson, together with Francis Crick, discovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953 a breakthrough that transformed biology and medicine by revealing how genetic information is stored and passed on. The discovery earned the pair, along with Maurice Wilkins, the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
At the time of the discovery, Watson famously declared, “We have discovered the secret of life.”
His death was confirmed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York, where he spent much of his career and later served as director, president, and chancellor.
ALSO READ: Pastor Adeboye Calls for Urgent Action on Nigeria’s Insecurity
Despite his scientific brilliance, Watson’s legacy was marred by controversy over remarks about race and intelligence. In a 2007 interview, he suggested that genetic differences could explain variations in intelligence between races — comments widely condemned as racist and scientifically unfounded. Though he later apologized, the remarks led to his removal from CSHL leadership roles. In 2019, after repeating similar claims, the institution revoked his remaining honorary titles, calling his statements “reprehensible and unsupported by science.”
The DNA molecule had been known since 1869, but its structure remained a mystery until Watson and Crick built their model using X-ray diffraction images taken by Rosalind Franklin at King’s College London. Franklin’s crucial work went largely unacknowledged during her lifetime, though she is now recognized as an essential contributor to the discovery.
Born in Chicago in 1928, Watson entered the University of Chicago at just 15 and later studied at Cambridge University, where he met Crick. He went on to teach at Harvard and later transformed Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory into a world-class center for molecular biology.
Watson is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and their two sons.
Content Credit: Moyosola Oni
Image Credit: Google .Com
