RIP James D. Watson (1928–2025) 🧬
James Watson, the American molecular biologist who helped uncover the double helix structure of DNA, has passed away at 97.
Back in 1953, Watson and Francis Crick built the model that showed DNA as two intertwined strands carrying the code of life. Their work relied heavily on crucial X ray images from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, and the three men later shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Watson went on to lead Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for decades, mentor generations of scientists, and help shape the future of genetics and molecular medicine.
A towering, if complicated, figure whose work changed how we understand heredity, disease, and life itself. Thoughts go out to his family, colleagues, and everyone he inspired. 🕊️
