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Rosalind Elsie Franklin (25 July, 1920 – 16 April, 1958) was a British physical chemist and crystallographer who made important contributions to the understanding of the fine structures of DNA, viruses, coal and graphite.Rosalind Franklin is best known for her contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953. She died in 1958 of cancer of the ovary, she was 37 years old.
Background
Franklin was born in London into an affluent and influential British-Jewish family.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 3 Her great uncle was Herbert Samuel Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 7 (later Viscount Samuel) who was the first practicing Jew to serve in the British Cabinet, as Home Secretary in 1916. He was also the first High Commissioner (effectively governor) for the British Mandate of Palestine. Her aunt Helen was married to Norman Bentwich who was Attorney General in the British Mandate of PalestineSegev, Tom (2000): One Palestine, Complete, (ISBN 034911286X). Abacus History. and was active in trade union organization and women's suffrage, she was later a member of the London County Council.Rosalind Franklin and DNA, p. 31Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 40 Rosalind's uncle Hugh Franklin was also a supporter of women's suffrage, and spent six weeks in prison in 1910 for attacking Winston Churchill with a dog whip because of Churchill's oppostion to this cause.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 28 Rosalind Franklin was educated at St Paul's Girls' SchoolRosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 25Rosalind Franklin and DNA, p. 41 where she excelled in biologyRosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 30 and sport.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 26 Her family were actively involved with a Working Men's College, where Ellis Franklin, her father, taught electricity, magnetism and the history of the Great War in the evenings and later became vice principal.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 20Rosalind Franklin and DNA, p. 35 Later they helped settle Jewish refugees from Europe who had escaped the Nazis.
Education and career
University education and work at British Coal Utilisation Research Association
In the Summer of 1938 Franklin went to Newnham College, Cambridge.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 40Rosalind Franklin and DNA p. 47 She passed her finals in 1941,Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 67 but was only awarded a decree titular, women were not entitled to degrees (BA Cantab.) from Cambridge at the time.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p.44Rosalind Franklin and DNA p. 50 She worked for Ronald Norish between 1941 and 1942.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 70Rosalind Franklin and DNA p. 57 Because of her desire to do war workRosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 79 during World War II, she worked at the British Coal Utilisation Research Association in Kingston-upon-Thames from August 1942, studying the porosity of coal.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 78 Her work helped spark the idea of high-strength carbon fibres and was the basis of her doctoral degree "The physical chemistry of solid organic colloids with special reference to coal and related materials" that she earned in 1945.Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, p. 82 More on [ Rosalind Franklin ]
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--Rosalind Franklin - Short biography of a scientist whose contributions were not acknowledged.
A Science Odyssey: Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) - Biography of the researcher who used x-ray diffraction to determine the structure of DNA.
Access Excellence: Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) - Short biography with related links.
Contributions of 20th-Century Women to Physics: Rosalind Franklin - Profile of her scientific contributions. Includes publications, honors, and related links.
Meta Description: [ Contributions of 20th Century Women to Physics: Historical archive of profiles of 20th century women who have made original and important contributions to physics. Focuses on the physicist's scientific work, presents brief descriptions of major contributions, and lists important publications, ho... ]
Eric Weisstein's World of Biography: Franklin, Rosalind (1920-1958) - Short profile with links to related figures.
Evidence for 2-Chain Helix in Crystalline Structure of Sodium Deoxyribonucleate - Rosalind E. Franklin and R.G. Gosling present an analysis of data from X-ray crystallography which indicates differences between the A and B structures of DNA. 577K PDF. [Nature]
Franklin, Rosalind Elsie - Biographical profile of the chemist.
Journal of Chemical Education: Rosalind Franklin - Biographical snapshot of the physical chemist.
Minnesota State University EMuseum: Rosalind Franklin - Short biography by Bobbi L. Gribble, with links to related topics.
Meta Description: [ A Biography of the Anthropologist Walter Alva ]
Molecular Configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate - Cautious article by Rosalind E. Franklin and R.G. Gosling says that the X-ray of the B form of nucleic acid fibres shows in striking manner the features characteristic of helical structures. 333K PDF. [Nature]
Nobel Prize Women in Science: Rosalind Elsie Franklin - Chapter on the talented and hardworking physical chemist. Searchable page images.
Photo Finish - In-depth, positive review of Brenda Maddox's Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA. [The New Yorker]
Meta Description: [ Rosalind Franklin and the great DNA race. ]
Rosalind Elsie Franklin: Pioneer Molecular Biologist - Short biography with portrait.
Rosalind Franklin and the Double Helix - Biography of the researcher whose work on DNA was at first unacknowledged, and, ironically, later brought to light in reaction to the insulting treatment by Nobel winner James Watson. Includes her diffraction photograph 51 of DNA. [Physics Today]
Rosalind Franklin: Dark Lady of DNA - Howard Berkes talks with Brenda Maddox about her book. In RealAudio format, from National Public Radio.
Meta Description: [ Howard Berkes talks with Brenda Maddox about her book 'Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA', about the unheralded contributions made by a chemist to the discovery of the structure of DNA. ]
Secret of Photo 51 - Background information on program on Rosalind Franklin's role in the discovery of the double helix. Article by Brenda Maddox, video clip, interview of biology professor. [NOVA]
Meta Description: [ Visit the companion Web site to the NOVA program Secret of Photo 51, about how Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction photography was instrumental in determining the structure of DNA. Take a closer look at this photograph and others, learn about the discoveries that brought DNA to center stage, an... ]
Spartacus Educational: Rosalind Franklin - Portrait, short biography, quotations from three of her letters, and several evaluations of her work and character by others.
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The double helix and the 'wronged heroine' - Biographer Brenda Maddox writes that Rosalind Franklin was no cardboard cutout. Includes Franklin's famous X-ray photograph of DNA. Framed HTML or PDF. [Nature]
Meta Description: [ Nature is the international weekly journal of science: a magazine style journal that publishes full-length research papers in all disciplines of science, as well as News and Views, reviews, news, features, commentaries, web focuses and more, covering all branches of science and how science impact... ]
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The Twisted Road to the Double Helix - Full-length review of Brenda Maddox's book Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA. [Scientific American]
Meta Description: [ Science and Technology at Scientific American.com: The Twisted Road to the Double Helix -- Science and Technology from Scientific American: daily science news and technology news, science trivia, science experts, science newsletters, science shop, science books and more ]
Wikipedia: Rosalind Franklin - Short biographical article.
Women in Science: Rosalind Elsie Franklin - Short biography, for kids.
| Rosalind Franklin, was the scientist who made the first clear X-ray images of the structure of DNA. Artists Wyllie O Hagan discovered Frank | |
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