Francis Crick

Profession: Molecular Biologist

Nationality:

Biography: Francis Crick was a British biophysicist and neuroscientist who, along with James Watson and Rosalind Franklin, discovered the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the substance that carries genetic information in living organisms. His work, which has been fundamental in the study of life sciences, earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962, which he shared with Watson.

Crick's career in science began with physics, but World War II interrupted his studies. After the war, he switched his focus to biology, a decision that would change the course of scientific history. At the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, he met James Watson, and the pair began their collaborative work on understanding the genetic code.

Their research culminated in 1953 with the proposal of the double helix structure for DNA, a groundbreaking achievement that revolutionized the field of genetics. Crick's further research included the sequencing of amino acids and the study of the central dogma of molecular biology, the one-way flow of genetic information in cells from DNA to RNA to protein.

In his later career, Crick turned his focus to neuroscience, studying consciousness and the function of the brain.

Born: June 8, 1916
Birthplace: Northampton, England, United Kingdom

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Dragon
Star Sign: Gemini

Died: July 28, 2004 (aged 88)
Cause of Death: Colon cancer