Nobel Laureate Scientist James Watson passes away

James D. Watson, the American Nobel laureate who co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, has died at the age of 97, the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory confirmed.

According to a BBC report on Saturday (November 8), Watson, along with British scientist Francis Crick, unveiled the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953—a groundbreaking discovery that laid the foundation of modern molecular biology.

He shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Crick and Maurice Wilkins.

Born in Chicago in April 1928, Watson entered the University of Chicago at 15 and later met Crick at Cambridge University, where they developed the first 3D model of DNA. He later joined Harvard University as a biology professor and, in 1968, became director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, transforming it into a leading research center.

Watson’s later years were marred by controversy over racist and sexist remarks, particularly his discredited statements about intelligence and race. He was dismissed as chancellor of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 2007, and the institution revoked his honorary titles in 2019 after he repeated similar comments.