Rosalind Franklin

Rosalind Franklin produced the X-ray diffraction images of DNA, including the famous Photo 51, that were instrumental in determining the double-helix structure of DNA — a discovery that underlies all of modern molecular oncology, cancer genomics, and targeted cancer therapy. Her meticulous crystallographic technique and scientific rigor contributed indispensably to one of the greatest scientific discoveries of the 20th century. Though her contribution was inadequately recognized in her lifetime, she is now celebrated as a foundational figure for molecular biology and cancer science. The cancer genomics revolution traces its origin to her images of DNA.