Crick and Watson may well be the names that trip off the tongue when most people are asked to identify pioneering geneticists. But behind these two scientific giants is a crowd of equally brilliant researchers whose major contributions to the field have transformed our relationship with nature.
Rosalind Franklin is perhaps molecular biology’s most famous tragedy. Her work on the double helix was crucial for Watson and Crick’s discovery, yet she failed to receive the credit she deserved during her young life. Learn more about this famed X-ray crystallographer.
This article highlights the achievements, both research and organizational of D. Bernard Amos (1923-2003), a distinguished scientist whose work greatly improved our understanding of the genetics of individuality and how this could be exploited for medical benefit.
Linus Pauling (1901-1994) was one of the most brilliant scientists of the 20th century. He worked out the structure of proteins and was involved in the race to discover the structure of DNA. That this eminent and visionary chemist failed to spot it has baffled many who’ve studied his life’s work.
Born on 2 October 1933 to affluent and supportive parents, John Gurdon was interested in biological things from an early age. He studied the Classics at Eton and then went on to study embryology at Oxford. He’s most famous for his landmark research into nuclear transplantation and cloning.
Hans Spemann is widely considered the ‘Father of Cloning’. His experiments in embryology helped pave the way towards modern advances in developmental biology.
Craig Venter is arguably one of the most famous scientists in genetics research. He was involved in the race to map the human genome and some people refer to him as the ‘Bill Gates’ of biotechnology.
