American scientist James Watson, one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, has died at the age of 97.
Watson, along with Francis Crick, identified the double helix structure of DNA in 1953, a discovery that transformed biology and medicine. Their work, which revealed how genetic information is stored and transmitted, earned them and Maurice Wilkins the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
“We have discovered the secret of life,” they said at the time.
His death was confirmed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York, where he spent much of his career. Watson led the institution for decades before resigning as chancellor following controversy over his comments on race and sex.
Watson’s reputation declined sharply after comments he made suggesting genetic differences in intelligence between races. In a 2007 interview with The Times, he said he was “inherently pessimistic about Africa’s prospects,” adding that “all of our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours, while all the evidence says they are not.”
He later apologized “unreservedly,” but the remarks cost him his job in the CSHL. In 2019, other comments linking race and intelligence led the lab to strip him of his remaining honorary titles. “Dr. Watson’s statements are reprehensible and are not supported by science,” the laboratory said in a statement.
DNA was first discovered in 1869, but its role as genetic material in cells was not confirmed until 1943. The structure of the molecule remained unknown until Watson and Crick built their model, using X-ray images produced by Rosalind Franklin at King’s College London, images supposedly obtained without her consent.
Although Franklin died in 1958, he is now widely credited for his crucial role in solving the structure of DNA. At the time, however, his contributions were largely overlooked.
Watson also received criticism for sexist comments in her 1968 memoir The Double Helix, where she commented on Franklin’s appearance. Despite this, some former colleagues noted that he supported women scientists at Harvard in the 1950s and 1960s, when few did.
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In 2014, feeling isolated from the scientific community, Watson sold his Nobel medal for $4.8 million. The Russian buyer later returned it to him.
Born in Chicago in April 1928, Watson was the son of Jean and James Watson, descendants of English, Scottish and Irish settlers. A talented student, he entered the University of Chicago at age 15, where he became interested in X-ray diffraction, a key technique for revealing atomic structures.
Watson later studied at the University of Cambridge, where he met Crick and began building DNA models. After his discovery, he joined Harvard University as a biology professor.
He and his wife, Isabel, had two children. One was diagnosed with schizophrenia, inspiring Watson to continue researching the genetic basis of mental illness.
In 1968, he became director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, transforming it into a world-leading center for molecular biology research, the same institution that later confirmed his death.
(BBC News)
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