1920-1958, British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer
Photo 51: her X-ray diffraction image of DNA provided critical evidence for the double helix structure
demonstrated DNA exists in two forms (A and B), with the B form revealing the helical geometry
her data was essential to James Watson and Francis Crick's 1953 model of DNA structure
expert in X-ray crystallography applied to complex biological molecules: coal, carbon, viruses
later research on tobacco mosaic virus and RNA structure at Birkbeck College, advancing structural virology
foundation of molecular biology: her experimental precision bridged chemistry and biology at the atomic scale
died at 37 from ovarian cancer, likely linked to extensive radiation exposure during research