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Photo 51

Photo 51 is the name given to an X-ray diffraction image of DNA taken by Rosalind Franklin in 1952^[1] that was critical evidence^[2] in identifying the structure of DNA.^[3] The photo was taken by Franklin while working at King's College London in Sir John Randall's group.

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The photo, shown to James D. Watson by Maurice Wilkins without Franklin's knowledge,^[4] was the critical evidence^[5] that led to the confirmation of the postulated double helical structure of DNA, published during 1953 in a series of five articles in the journal Nature.^[6] Franklin and Raymond Gosling's own publication in the same issue of Nature was the first publication of this more clarified X-ray image of DNA.^[7]

References

^ Secret of Photo 51. Nova
^ Nova
^ Watson JD, Crick FHC (1953). "A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid". Nature 171: 737–738. Full text PDF
^ "Secret of Photo 51", PBS.org, 2003-04-22. Retrieved on 2007-08-04.
^ "The instant I saw the picture my mouth fell open and my pulse began to race." -- James D. Watson (1968), The Double Helix, page 167. New York: Atheneum, Library of Congress card number 68-16217. Page 168 shows the X-shaped pattern of the B-form of DNA, clearly indicating crucial details of its helical structure to Watson and Crick.
^ Double Helix: 50 Years of DNA. Nature archives. Nature Publishing Group
^ Franklin R, Gosling RG (1953) "Molecular Configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate". Nature 171: 740–741. Full text PDF