James Watson, the biologist who co-discovered the double helix structure of DNA, has died at age 97 in a New York hospice. His groundbreaking work earned him a Nobel Prize and shaped modern genetics. Despite his scientific achievements, Watson's career was marked by significant controversies.
James Watson passed away in a New York hospice facility at the age of 97. He shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for revealing DNA's double helix shape in 1953, a discovery that revolutionized biology by explaining how genetic information is stored and transmitted.
Following this breakthrough, Watson advanced molecular biology as director, president, and chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. Under his leadership, the institution grew into a global leader in the field. He also headed the Human Genome Project for two years, resigning in protest against efforts to patent gene sequences.
Watson regarded his writings as his greatest legacy. In a 2007 New Scientist interview, he stated: “The double helix was going to be found by someone. I speeded it up a little. But Francis Crick never would have written The Double Helix, nor would any of the other scientists involved.” He hoped his books would inspire young people to pursue science.
His career was not without controversy. The 1953 paper relied on X-ray images from Rosalind Franklin, whose contributions Watson and Crick downplayed, leading to lasting criticism. Watson was often dismissive of other biological fields and faced professional repercussions for remarks about researchers and marginalized groups, culminating in his 2007 retirement from Cold Spring Harbor.
Nevertheless, Watson's insights paved the way for understanding heredity, evolutionary relationships, and treatments for genetic diseases, cementing his status as one of the 20th century's most influential scientists.