Maurice Wilkins

Profession: Biophysicist

Nationality:

Biography: Maurice Wilkins is best known for his work on the structure of DNA, for which he shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with James Watson and Francis Crick.

Wilkins was born in the town of Pongaroa in New Zealand. He then went on to study physics at the University of Cambridge and later earned a Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham.

During World War II, he worked on radar screens and the Manhattan Project. In 1946, he joined King's College London, where he began studying DNA using X-ray diffraction.

In 1950, Wilkins and his colleague Raymond Gosling obtained clear X-ray images of DNA, revealing its regular structure. This sparked James Watson's interest in DNA research. Rosalind Franklin later joined the King's College team, leading to tensions with Wilkins.

Wilkins showed Watson one of Franklin's high-quality DNA images without her knowledge. This data, along with other information, helped Watson and Crick correctly describe the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953. Afterwards Wilkins continued to test and refine the DNA model and study RNA structure.

Wilkins, Watson, and Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962 for their discoveries about the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its role in information transfer within living organisms.

Born: December 15, 1916
Birthplace: Pongaroa, New Zealand

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

Died: October 5, 2004 (aged 87)