1. James Watson and Francis Crick By Angelica and Chris 3 rd Period Forensics

2. James Watson  Born on April 6 th, 1928, was an American geneticist and a biophysicist.  He attended the University of Chicago at the age of 15 and graduated in 1947.  Stemmed from much research at Indiana University and from experiments from Oswald Avery, he was convinced that the gene could be understood, only after further information was found on the nucleic acid molecules.  He was an important asset in the discovery of the molecular structure and the basis of heredity.  Later in his life, Watson was a professor of biology at Harvard University from 1955-1976.  He also wrote a biology text in 1956 named, Molecular Biology of the Gene.  He was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1962 for Physiology or Medicine with Francis Crick.

3. Francis Crick  Born on June 8, 1916 in Northamptonshire, England. He was a British biophysicist.  During World War II, Crick worked as a physicist in developing mines for the use in naval warfare. He then turned to biology at the University of Cambridge.  Crick was a distinguished professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, California from 1977 until he died.  He published two books named Of Molecules and Men in 1966, as well as What Mad Pursuit: A Personal View Of Scientific Discovery in 1988.  In 1991 the Order of Merit was awarded to Crick as well as the Nobel Peace Prize for Physiology or Medicine with James Watson.

4. What they did  Together they both discovered the structure of DNA in 1953. DNA (deoxyribo-nucleic-acid) is a molecule that carries genetic information from one generation to another.  They shared a Nobel Prize with Maurice Wilkins in 1962.  “[…]almost all organisms – bacteria, plants, yeast and animals – carry genetic information encapsulated as DNA”  With the discovery of DNA, we are able to identify criminals by comparing their DNA with any evidence that was left on the crime scene.

5. Bibliography Fredholm, L. (2003). The Discovery of the Molecular Structure of DNA - The Double Helix. N.p.: Elsevier Publishing Company. Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/dna_double_ helix/readmore.html Watson, James Dewey. (2012). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.school.eb.com/eb/article-9076285 Crick, Francis Harry Compton. (2012). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.school.eb.com/eb/article-9027893