The American scientist who co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA revolutionized modern biology and genetics.
James D. Watson, a pioneer of molecular biology and co-discoverer of the DNA double helix, has died at the age of 97, academic sources confirmed Thursday.
Born in Chicago in 1928, Watson—together with British physicist Francis Crick—unveiled the structure of DNA in 1953, one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in scientific history. Their model of the double helix revealed how genetic information is stored and transmitted, laying the foundation for modern genetics, biotechnology, and medicine.
In 1962, Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery, which transformed our understanding of heredity and life itself.
Watson later played a key leadership role in the early stages of the Human Genome Project, an international effort to decode the entire sequence of human DNA. He was also a prolific author and educator, best known for his influential memoir The Double Helix, which offered a behind-the-scenes look at the race to uncover the secret of life.
Scientists and institutions around the world are paying tribute to Watson’s towering legacy, crediting him with reshaping the course of biology in the 20th century.
