Academics find twist in tale of Rosalind Franklin, DNA and the double helix

Authors say scientist’s role was acknowledged at the time of discovery – contrary to popular narrative

In the story of how Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the structure of DNA, the popular narrative is one of skullduggery and deceit. But now researchers say there is a twist in the tale of the double helix.

It has long been held that Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray diffraction image, Photo 51, was illicitly shown to Watson, revealing to him that DNA has a double helix and allowing him and his colleague Francis Crick to deduce the structure and claim the glory.