CV - Rosalind Franklin

Professional Summary

Renowned British X-ray crystallographer and physical chemist whose pioneering work was instrumental in understanding the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite. Best known for her X-ray diffraction images of DNA, particularly Photo 51, which provided critical evidence for the discovery of the DNA double helix structure. Her meticulous experimental approach and expertise in X-ray crystallography revolutionized structural biology. Despite her groundbreaking contributions, her work was largely unrecognized during her lifetime. Franklin was a meticulous scientist who believed in letting experimental data guide conclusions rather than premature model building.

Professional Experience

Birkbeck College, University of London

1953–1958

Senior Scientist / Research Associate in Biophysics

London, UK

Led pioneering research on molecular structures of viruses under crystallographer John Desmond Bernal
Conducted groundbreaking X-ray crystallography studies on Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV), discovering that all virus particles were of the same length
Published seminal works on the helical arrangement of protein subunits in TMV
Coordinated research on spherical viruses including polio virus
Supervised research team including PhD students John Finch and Kenneth Holmes
Investigated RNA structure and its location within virus particles
Worked on turnip yellow mosaic virus and cucumber virus 4

King's College London

1951–1953

Research Associate

Medical Research Council's Biophysics Unit, London, UK

Discovered key properties of DNA that facilitated the correct description of the double helix structure
Produced high-quality X-ray diffraction images of DNA, including the landmark Photo 51
Discovered that DNA exists in two forms (A and B) depending on humidity levels
Demonstrated that phosphate groups lie on the outside of the DNA molecule
Developed innovative humidity-controlled camera chamber for X-ray experiments
Applied Patterson function to analyze X-ray pictures of DNA
Presented data at seminars, establishing DNA's helical structure with 2, 3, or 4 co-axial chains

Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de l'État

1947–1950

Chercheur (Postdoctoral Researcher)

Paris, France

Learned practical aspects of X-ray crystallography applied to amorphous substances
Studied fine structure of carbonaceous solids, particularly coal and graphite
Coined terms "graphitising" and "non-graphitising" carbon
Published multiple papers on coal structure and carbon conversion
Applied X-ray diffraction to rayon and other amorphous materials

British Coal Utilisation Research Association (BCURA)

1942–1945

Assistant Research Officer

Kingston upon Thames, UK

Studied porosity of coal using helium to determine density
Discovered relationship between pore constrictions and permeability of coal
Helped classify coals and predict their performance for fuel and wartime applications
Work formed basis of PhD thesis and several published papers

Key Scientific Contributions

DNA Structure: Produced Photo 51, the clearest X-ray diffraction image of DNA at the time, providing crucial evidence for the double helix structure
Virus Research: Pioneered X-ray crystallography studies on Tobacco Mosaic Virus, discovering uniform particle length and helical protein arrangement
Coal Science: Advanced understanding of coal porosity, graphitisation, and carbon structure
Methodological Innovation: Developed humidity-controlled camera chambers for precise X-ray experiments
RNA Research: Investigated ribonucleic acid structure in virus particles

Publications

Franklin, R. E., & Gosling, R. G. (1953). "Molecular Configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate". Nature, 171(4356), 740–741.
Franklin, R. E. (1955). "Structure of Tobacco Mosaic Virus". Nature, 175(4452), 379–381.
Franklin, R. E., & Gosling, R. G. (1953). "The structure of sodium thymonucleate fibres. I. The influence of water content". Acta Crystallographica, 6(8), 673–677.
Franklin, R. E., & Gosling, R. G. (1953). "The structure of sodium thymonucleate fibres. II. The cylindrically symmetrical Patterson function". Acta Crystallographica, 6(8), 678–685.
Franklin, R. E. (1950). "The interpretation of diffuse X-ray diagrams of carbon". Acta Crystallographica, 3(2), 107–121.
Franklin, R. E. (1951). "The structure of graphitic carbons". Acta Crystallographica, 4(3), 253–261.
Franklin, R. E., & Holmes, K. C. (1956). "The Helical Arrangement of the Protein Sub-Units in Tobacco Mosaic Virus". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 21(2), 405–406.

Rosalind Elsie Franklin

Professional Summary

Education