Watson and Crick (1916–2004) - James Watson and Francis Crick

James Watson (born 1928) and Francis Crick (1916–2004): James Watson and Francis Crick were a pair of scientists who together proposed the double helix structure of the DNA molecule, an important discovery in the field of biology. Watson, an American molecular biologist, and Crick, a British biophysicist, began their collaboration at the University of Cambridge in the early 1950s. Building upon the work of others they constructed a model of DNA as a double helix, with pairs of nucleotides forming the “rungs” and sugar-phosphate molecules forming the “sides” of a twisted ladder. This discovery published in 1953 revolutionized the understanding of heredity and paved the way for modern molecular biology. In 1962, Watson and Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for their groundbreaking work on the structure of nucleic acids.