Rosalind Franklin

Rosalind Elsie Franklin, a British scientist, and X-ray crystallographer, made significant contributions to our understanding of the molecular structures of viruses, coal, and graphite, as well as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Franklin has been referred to as the "wronged heroine," the "dark lady of DNA," the "forgotten heroine," a "feminist icon," and the "Sylvia Plath of molecular biology" for her contributions to the discovery of the structure of DNA, despite the fact that her work on coal and viruses was recognized during her lifetime.

Franklin was also a superb scientist and an expert in X-ray crystallography, a method of imaging that uses the pattern of scattered X-ray beams to reveal the molecular structure of matter. Although her early work on the microstructures of carbon and graphite is frequently referenced, her work with DNA was the most important and may have earned three scientists a Nobel Prize.

However, in 1956, at the height of her career, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, possibly as a result of her frequent X-ray work. Up until her passing in 1958 at the age of 37, Franklin kept up her work in the lab.

Born - Died: 1920-1958
Field: Chemical and crystallographical
Important contributions: works on coal and viruses, the discovery of the structure of DNA