NEW YORK: James D. Watson, the American biologist who co-discovered the structure of DNA in 1953 and helped launch the modern era of genetics, has died at the age of 97, according to reports. Watson passed away this week at a hospice on Long Island.
Watson’s groundbreaking work with British physicist Francis Crick revealed the double helix structure of DNA, earning them a share of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Medicine and paving the way for genetic engineering, gene therapy, and other DNA-based technologies. Their discovery, made at Cambridge University, is widely considered foundational to biotechnology.
However, Watson’s career was also marked by controversy. He faced criticism for using Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray crystallography data without fully acknowledging her contribution, and his 1968 memoir, The Double Helix, drew backlash from colleagues for portraying scientists as ambitious schemers. Later, his comments on race and intelligence sparked global outrage, leading to his forced retirement from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Born in Chicago in 1928, Watson graduated from the University of Chicago and earned his doctorate from Indiana University. His work with Crick at Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory ultimately unlocked the molecular basis of heredity, forever changing the field of biology. Despite controversies, his contributions to science remain historic and transformative.