James Watson, who with Francis Crick revealed the double‑helix structure of DNA in 1953, has died at 97. Their discovery, which also relied on data from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, earned Watson, Crick and Wilkins the 1962 Nobel Prize and helped launch modern molecular biology. Watson authored influential works including The Double Helix and Molecular Biology of the Gene, but later faced institutional censure for controversial remarks about race. He died on Long Island after a brief illness, his son confirmed.
James Watson, Co‑Discoverer of DNA’s Double Helix, Dies at 97 — Nobel Laureate’s Scientific Legacy and Later Controversy
James Watson, who with Francis Crick revealed the double‑helix structure of DNA in 1953, has died at 97. Their discovery, which also relied on data from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, earned Watson, Crick and Wilkins the 1962 Nobel Prize and helped launch modern molecular biology. Watson authored influential works including The Double Helix and Molecular Biology of the Gene, but later faced institutional censure for controversial remarks about race. He died on Long Island after a brief illness, his son confirmed.
02:53, 09.11.2025Science
James Watson, co‑discoverer of DNA’s double helix, dies at 97
James D. Watson, the American molecular biologist who, with Francis Crick, identified the double‑helix structure of DNA in 1953, has died at the age of 97. Born in Chicago in 1928, Watson was only 24 when he and British scientist Francis Crick published their landmark model of DNA — a discovery that fundamentally transformed biology and medicine.
Discovery and scientific impact
The Watson‑Crick model, built in part on X‑ray data produced by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins at King’s College London, revealed how genetic information is stored and copied. For this work, Watson, Crick and Wilkins received the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The discovery laid the groundwork for modern fields such as genetic engineering, molecular diagnostics and gene‑based therapies.
Career and publications
Watson authored several influential books and textbooks, including Molecular Biology of the Gene (1965) and the personal account The Double Helix (1968), which offered a candid look at the race and personalities surrounding the discovery. He later served in leadership roles at institutions such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he spent much of his career.
Controversy and institutional response
"As a scientist, his and Francis Crick’s determination of the structure of DNA, based on data from Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins and their colleagues at King’s College London, was a pivotal moment in the life sciences," Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory said in a statement.
In later years Watson drew widespread condemnation for public comments about race and intelligence. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has said that his remarks in 2008 led to his removal from administrative roles and trusteeship, and that repeated statements in 2020 prompted the board to revoke his emeritus status and sever institutional ties.
Death and legacy
Watson died earlier this week on Long Island after a brief illness, his son confirmed to news outlets. His scientific contribution — the elucidation of DNA’s structure — remains a foundational milestone in biology, even as his legacy is complicated by the controversy surrounding his later public remarks.
Note: Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, Watson’s co‑Nobel laureates, both died in 2004.