James Watson and his Contributions DNA and Genetics

James Watson was born on April 6, 1928 in Chicago Illinois. He was a very gifted and bright child. He is most known for his contributions to DNA and Genetics along with his co-worker Francis Crick. Watson received his B.S. at the University of Chicago and received a Ph.D. from Indiana University. Watson also worked at the University of Cambridges Cavendish Laboratory in England. This was where he first met Francis Crick. (Bagley). As a child, his favorite question was â€Å"why?† and simple answers did not suffice. He accrued a lot of his knowledge by reading the World Almanac. He won $100 on a radio show called Quiz Kid,† and spent the money on a set of binoculars so that he could go bird watching. At the age of fifteen, he was admitted to†¦show more content†¦They published their findings in the journal â€Å"Nature.† (DNALC). Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1962. Watson wrote, â€Å"The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA,† which was published in 1968. He wrote a textbook, â€Å"Molecular Biology of the Gene,† and he also wrote, â€Å"DNA: The Secret of Life,† which is a more recent book. (Wikipedia). In 1956, Watson took a position at Harvard University in the Biology department. His research focused on RNA and its role in the transfer of genetic information. Watson was a member of the Harvard faculty until 1976, but he took over the presidency of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1968. â€Å"Watson has played an important role in the development of science policy, from Cancer, through recombinant DNA, to the Human Genome Project†. He administered the Human Genome Project at the National Institutes of Health while still leading Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory from 1988 to 1992. (DNALC). Watson’s contributions to Science are boundless. In my opinion, there is no greater contribution to society than contributing new and relevant information to the fields of DNA and Genetics. Genetics is one of the newest fields of science and its discoveries are endless. By discovering the structure of DNA, it is now clear how mutations occur and how they can be repaired. Since it DNA isShow MoreRelatedThe Characters In James Watsons The Double Helix1521 Words   |  7 Pages The Double Helix Essay In James Watson’s The Double Helix, there are four main scientists that all work towards the discovery of the double helix. These four people discovered the double helix and forever changed biology. Their names are James D. Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins. The winners of the Nobel prize in real life were James D. Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. 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