Timelines: 1953
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The double helix
Watson and Crick with a model of DNA
The molecular structure of the DNA molecule
James Watson and Francis Crick unveil the double-helical model of the DNA molecule in the leading scientific journal Nature. The paper concludes with a statement that broadly reorients research agendas in molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics: “It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairing that we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material.” Investigations into the biological transcription and translation of the genetic code occupy scientists for years to come. Technical advances emerging from this concentrated work on DNA carry the life sciences forward to the invention of recombinant organisms and the birth of modern biotechnology in 1973.
Molecular structure of Nucleic Acids
A Personal Account by James Watson
Crick and Watson
Watson and Crick
Crick (upper left) and Watson (lower right) as members of the RNA Tie Club
50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's discovery