James Watson, the Nobel laureate who discovered the double helix of DNA, dies

BarcelonaHe had just turned 34 when his name appeared on one of science's most prestigious lists: the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Since then, he has gone down in history as one of the key researchers of the 20th century, both for the discovery of the structure of DNA and for his leadership of the Human Genome Project (1988-1992), but also for the numerous controversies he has been involved in. This week, at the age of 97, the American biophysicist James D. Watson died in a New York medical center from undisclosed causes, as confirmed by his son. New York TimesWatson, who was born on April 6, 1928, in Chicago, was a gifted child. He entered the University of Chicago at age 15 in a program for exceptionally talented students and studied zoology. He later earned a doctorate in genetics from Indiana University, and in 1951 moved to the United Kingdom to work at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, where he met the British biologist and university professor Francis Crick. It was at that time and in that laboratory that the collaboration began which led them both to decode DNA, the genetic blueprint of life. Just two years after joining forces, Crick and Watson published an article in the journal Nature proposing that deoxyribonucleic acid has a double helix structure. That is, it is formed by two chains that coil around a common axis, forming a twisted ladder.

However, this recognition was not without controversy. The helical structure of DNA was mostly attributed to these two men, but the decisive contribution of a woman was overlooked: the British scientist Rosalind Franklin. This crystallographer obtained the X-ray image—the famous Photograph 51—which proved key to identifying the structure of DNA.

Rosalind Franklin's Invisibility

Watson was able to see that photograph in 1953, without Franklin's direct consent, and that information was crucial for the double helix model that he and Crick published that same year in NatureAlthough Franklin also signed an article in the same issue, he was not given credit for the essential role he had played in the discovery.

This discovery marked a fundamental milestone in molecular biology, as it proposed for the first time how genetic information is copied and transmitted from one generation to the next. The Nobel Prize committee in Medicine recognized the two researchers for this discovery in 1962 "for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and their significance for the transfer of information in living matter." However, neither of them could recall Franklin, without whom they would have received the prestigious award, and who had sadly died in 1957 from ovarian cancer at only 37 years old.

Decades later, Watson admitted that Franklin's contribution had been crucial, but suggested at the same time that they had been able to interpret what she had failed to see in her own data. Nevertheless, his stance led the scientific community to reclaim Rosalind Franklin as a key researcher and a symbol of overlooked female scientists.

Racist statements

Throughout his life, Watson was a member of the faculty at Harvard University (1956-1976) and spearheaded the molecular biology program there. In fact, he completely overhauled the curriculum to include DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. Simultaneously, in 1968, he was appointed director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and transformed this small research center into a global epicenter of genetics. His contribution to the understanding of genetic material marked a turning point in modern biology, but his career was also marred by several controversies. As a professor, he was feared for his direct and competitive style, and his personality was as brilliant as it was provocative. In his later years, Watson made controversial statements against gender, as well as homophobic and racist remarks, which provoked almost universal condemnation from the academic world.

For example, in 2019 he claimed that "there is an average difference between whites and blacks on IQ tests" and that this difference is "genetic." As a result of this scandal, he lost several honorary degrees, and the scientific community was quick to clarify that the differences between human groups on a genetic scale are minimal, since more than 99.9% of the genome is shared by all human beings, and that intellectual performance is much more related to social, economic, and educational factors.

In 2014, Watson surprised the world when he auctioned his Nobel medal for $4.1 million, making him the first living laureate to do so. He donated part of the money to scientific institutions. Five years later, he suffered a car accident that caused brain injuries, and he withdrew completely from public life.