The crystallographer

SCfranklinR, originally uploaded by michelle_upm.

Few people know who Rosalind franklin is.Most biologists know James Watson and Francis Crick,who discovered the structure of DNA and revolutionised science forever.But, nobody has heard of poor Rosalind.
Today ,we pay tribute to a woman whom scientific history often fails to mention.The crystallographer.
Whilst still alive, she was grossly mistreated by he male counterparts such as Watson and Crick, who did not see it neccessary to recognize her con tribution to the discovery of the double helix.
It was she who provided the X-ray crystallography photographs so essential in deducing the DNA structure. However, even when the Nobel prize was awarded for this discovery, she was left out.She had died 2 years before at age 37, of ovarian cancer.The Nobel prize is never awarded posthumously.her co researcher Maurice Wilkins was awarded the prize, however.
Rosalind Elsie Franklin. Born July 25th 1920, died april 16 1958.
Here's to you Rosie.

Note: the writer wished to dedicate this entry to her coursemates, Hidayah, Erma ,Akmal, Asilah,Hani and Caroline, who will one day be(she believes) great scientists in their own right.