James watson, a molecular โbiologist pivotal in unraveling the structure of DNA, has died at theโฃ age of 97.โข The American scientist passed away in a โhospiceโ following a โhospital admission for an infection,according to The New โYork times.
In โค1953,โ at โคthe โage of โ24, Watson and colleagues steadfast theโฃ doubleโ helix structure of DNA, a discovery that revolutionized the understanding of heredity and life itself. Watson, along withโข Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, were jointlyโฃ awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology orโ Medicine for โtheir โwork. Rosalind Franklin, whose contributions were also crucial, had โdied inโข 1958 and was not eligible for the prize.
“We โฃhave โdiscovered the secret of life,” theโค researchers declared upon receiving the Nobel Prize. Their work โrevealed that deoxyribonucleicโฃ acid (DNA) stores โhereditary facts in a double-stranded, helical structure. This breakthrough is widely consideredโ one โฃofโ the mostโ significant scientific achievements of the โ20th century.
Watson laterโ authored the controversial memoir Theโ Doubleโข Helix in 1968,โ which offered aโ candid, yet criticized, account of theโ discovery process.While lauded for its insight into the scientific endeavor, the book drew criticism for allegedly exaggerating Watson’s role and diminishing the contributions โof his colleagues.Despite the controversy, The Double Helix was included โon listsโฃ of important Americanโค literary works.
Laterโ in his career,โค watson directed the human genome project from 1988 to 1992, an โambitious effort to map the โcomplete structureโฃ of โขhuman DNA.However, his legacy was also marked by controversy stemming from publicly expressed โracist views, โincluding statements questioning the intelligence of Black people, which led to his dismissal fromโฃ several positions.