STS 1 Wfy - Group A, The Scientist in The History of Science

Group A: Contreras, Corpuz, Moraga, Pabelico, Tandayu STS 1-WFY
Prof. Benjamin Vallejo April 09, 2021
THE SCIENTIST IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Background of the Scientist
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was born in London on July 25, 1920. At a very young age, she
had already shown interest in the study of mathematics and science, which was a difficult
profession for women during her time. She was educated in St. Paul’s School for Girls and
Newnham College which was a women’s college at Cambridge University with a major in
Physical Chemistry. After she graduated from university, she worked as a research chemist in the
British Coal Utilisation Research Association. Her significant work regarding the micro-structure
of coals and carbon research helped in classifying coals and predicting their quality and level of
performance. Her expertise also brought about better gas masks for her countrymen during
WWII This led her to gaining a PhD from Cambridge University in the year 1945. She moved to
Paris to focus on analysing carbons with the use of X-Ray crystallography. Her work detailing
the structures of graphitizing and non-graphitizing carbons helped in the formation of the basis
for carbon fibers development, resulting in the production of new heat-resistant materials. This
earned her an international reputation among coal chemists.
Her Contributions and their Impact on Society
Thanks to her expertise in analyzing carbons, Franklin returned to England in 1951 as a

research associate in John Randall’s laboratory at King’s College, London, with the goal to find
the structure of the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). The academic culture that time was not too
welcoming of women. It was there that she met Maurice Wilkins, who was also a research
associate studying the same thing, and initially thought that Franklin was an assistant instead of
the head of her own project. It was during this time when she took “photograph 51,” the photo
capturing the X-ray diffraction pattern of a DNA molecule. From the photos she took, she
quickly discovered that there were two forms of diffractions — the wet and dry. In 1953, she
learned that both of these forms contain two helices.
Meanwhile, Francis Crick and James Watson, two other scientists in Cambridge, were
also working on a theoretical DNA model. Unbeknownst to Franklin, Wilkins showed them her
Photo 51 and unpublished findings. In turn, Francis Crick and James Watson used that
information to further their own research and publish their paper in Nature. They announced
their discovery of the DNA model without crediting Franklin and even went as far as describing
her as a “plain-dressing, belligerent scientist” in their journal. In due time, Franklin was able to
come to the same conclusions as Crick & Watson and headed to get her findings published in
Nature as well. The journal published Watson & Crick’s findings together with Rosalind
Franklin’s, but put her findings last. This made it seem as if Franklin’s work affirmed Watson &
Crick’s model, instead of being its foundation.
She left her research in King’s College and moved to Birkbeck College where she started
investigating plant viruses, specifically tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Again, through x-ray
diffractions, she found that TMV’s genetic material was implanted in the inner wall of its
protective protein shell. As her expertise on virus structures was recognized by the Royal
Institution, she was commissioned to create large models of viruses for the Brussels World’s Fair
Science Exhibition in 1958. During the next few years, she travelled around the world sharing
her knowledge about coal and viruses at conferences and did some of the most important work of
her life. She published 19 articles on coals and carbons, 5 on DNA, and 21 on viruses throughout
her 16-year profession. On April 26, 1958, she died in London due to ovarian cancer.
Even though the peak of her career lasted shortly, her scientific achievements both in
coal, plant virus, and the DNA structure remain critical to modern molecular biology and
genomics today. Her contribution in molecular biology in particular (i.e., the results of her X-ray
crystallography) was the basis of Watson and Crick’s double-helix model of the molecular
structure of DNA which is currently held as the model that describes the nature of the said
genetic material. Understanding the nature of DNA was revolutionary as it helped scientists
determine how it stores genetic information and how it gets replicated which helped develop
ways of manipulating genes leading to the advancement of molecular technology which has
impacted society in various ways. It has fed many by genetically modifying crops; it has treated
certain genetic disorders through gene therapy; and today it is being currently used in the
medical field to address the current COVID-19 crisis through the development of vaccines.
While it did not impact society in a direct manner, Franklin’s revolutionary work, it may have
been much later before the double helix structure would have been fully imagined.
She also played a massive role in the birth of new insights on viruses, helping build the
foundation for the field of structural virology. Especially now, when virology and molecular
biochemistry is of utmost importance to understand and develop ways to prevent the spread of
diseases such as Covid-19.
What are the criteria that guide a scientist in conducting scientific work?
Based on the book: On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research

(2009), there are 3 sets of obligations that researchers use as motivation to adhere to professional
standards. First is the obligation to honor the trust that their colleagues have given them.
Essentially, Science is an enterprise where people constantly add on to the known. It is
cumulative. This is why it is important to have accurate, non-fabricated results for others to use.
This ensures that the knowledge gained can be used for further research by the following
generations. In response, it is also within the responsibility of the researcher to mentor these
following generations in order to build on the foundation that they have created.
Secondly, researchers have an obligation to themselves. They have to ensure that they
coordinate themselves properly since irresponsible conduct in research would only make it
harder to achieve one’s goals. One’s personal integrity is also essential in building their career.
No matter the circumstances, they should align their conduct towards excellence, following and
reflecting on ethical and moral standards while doing the right thing no matter the circumstance.
Finally, since scientific research is of great benefit to society, the researchers essentially
have an obligation to act in ways that serve the public. In the end, the ultimate goal of the
human’s pursuit of knowledge is to improve the quality of human life. This information that is
discovered should be used in such a way that it would become of benefit to the people. It should
be spread and used in discourse in order to further the information. Sadly, Franklin was somehow
taken advantage of by her supposed ‘colleagues’. She was left unacknowledged by Watson and
Crick when her Photo 51 played a major role in their theoretical DNA model. As has been
discussed earlier, science is a cumulative enterprise where it is expected that people would add
on to each other’s discoveries, and with this, it is important to follow ethical and moral standards
while working. These standards were violated upon the moment that her important contribution
was left unacknowledged.
What aspects of life do these criteria affect and why?
If one were to specifically attach the criteria to a specific aspect in life, then the criteria
are more aligned with the mental, social, occupational, and spiritual (finding meaning to one’s
life) aspects of life. Scientific work has been discussed earlier as one that is of a cumulative
enterprise. Working with others is unavoidable. We continuously build on what the others have
started. Thus it is important that we have not only the mental ability to pursue the research but to
have the social skill to interact and collaborate with others in order to gain more knowledge. This
sense of dedication to furthering one’s career does not only benefit oneself but will benefit the
rest of humanity as well with the resulting products from their pursuit of knowledge. This would
offer them a sense of meaning in their lives because of their contributions to society.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, scientists and technologists deserve the acknowledgement for the
significance of their contributions to the wider scientific and human context. The most difficult
facet of their job lies not only in the search for knowledge – but the professional responsibility of
serving society in times of need, preventing negative effects all while aiming for the ethical
progress of science.
References:
Ahlstrom, Dick (2013, April 25). DNA: the double helix that changed the world. The Irish Times.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/dna-the-double-helix-that-changed-the-world-1.137144
6#:~:text=The%20discovery%20of%20DNA%20has,resistance%2C%20cold%20and%20drought
%20tolerance
Conlon, A. M. (2020, August 3). Rosalind Franklin. New Scientist.

https://www.newscientist.com/people/rosalind-franklin/.
Lee, J. J. (2013, May 20). 6 Women Scientists Who Were Snubbed Due to Sexism.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/130519-women-scientists-overlooked-dna-his
tory-science
National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). Biographical Overview | Rosalind Franklin - Profiles in Science. U.S.
National Library of Medicine. https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/spotlight/kr/feature/biographical.
On being a scientist: A guide to responsible conduct in research. (2009). Washington, D.C.: National
Academies Press.
TEDEducation. (2016, July 11). Rosalind Franklin: DNA'S unsung hero - Cláudio L. GUERRA [Video
file]. Retrieved April 08, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIP0lYrdirI

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Group A: Contreras, Corpuz, Moraga, Pabelico, Tandayu STS 1-WFY

Prof. Benjamin Vallejo April 09, 2021

THE SCIENTIST IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE

Background of the Scientist

Her Contributions and their Impact on Society

Thanks to her expertise in analyzing carbons, Franklin returned to England in 1951 as a

Based on the book: On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research

What aspects of life do these criteria affect and why?

Conlon, A. M. (2020, August 3). Rosalind Franklin. New Scientist.

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