S6.16 Double helix double crossing? What really happened between Rosalind Franklin, James Watson and Francis Crick?

Hello, and welcome to Genetics Unzipped - the Genetics Society podcast, with me, Dr Kat Arney. In this episode I sit down for an in-depth chat with Professor Matthew Cobb to get the inside track on what really happened between James Watson, Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin during the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.

“What did Watson and Crick discover in 1953?”

“Rosalind Franklin’s notes!”

It’s a well-known joke that you’ve probably heard me tell before - but is it true? If you’ve listened to our previous episodes about the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA - that’s episode 16 from our first series, Genetics by Numbers, and episode 9 of season 3, Twisted History - you’ll be familiar with the story that James Watson and Francis Crick, who were working at the University of Cambridge, secretly got hold of information from Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin and Ray Gosling at Kings College London - including the infamous Photo 51 - which enabled them to figure out the structure and win a Nobel Prize, together with Wilkins.

Matthew Cobb, image courtesy of Doug Vernimmen

Matthew Cobb: What role did Rosalind Franklin really play in the discovery of the DNA double helix?

The way it’s usually told, Franklin was effectively ripped off and belittled by the Cambridge team, especially Watson, and has only recently been restored to her rightful place as one of the key discoverers of the double helix. It’s a dramatic narrative, with heroes, villains and a grand prize. But, as I found out when I sat down for a chat with Matthew Cobb, science author and Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester, the real story is a lot more nuanced.

Before we come to that, I wanted to start by setting the scene. Today, we’re all familiar with the idea of DNA as the instructions for life, and the iconic double helix, which appears everywhere from adverts to corporate logos (including hidden in our own here at First Create The Media). But as Matthew explains, back at the beginning of the 1950s, DNA just… wasn’t really a Thing.

Click here to read the full transcript…

Coming up from the Genetics Society!

A heads up that 1st September is the deadline for the Society’s next round of public engagement grants, with small grants up to £1000 and larger grants up to £5000 available to support online or in-person public engagement activities relevant to genetics. It’s a great opportunity to bring the wonder of genetics to the wider world, or help people engage with complex topics in the field, so if you’re interested in applying then head over to the grants section of The Genetics Society website

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This episode of Genetics Unzipped was written and presented by Kat Arney. It’s a First Create the Media production for The Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies dedicated to promoting research, training, teaching and public engagement in all areas of genetics. You can find out more and apply to join at genetics.org.uk.  Our theme music was composed by Dan Pollard, and the logo was designed by James Mayall, audio production was by Emma Werner and the team, and our producer is Sally Le Page. Thanks for listening, and until next time, goodbye.