Which DNA structure co-discoverer and Nobel laureate died in 2025?

James Dewey Watson, the acclaimed American molecular biologist, passed away on November 6, 2025, at the age of 97. He is renowned for his pivotal role in deciphering the double-helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, a monumental scientific breakthrough that reshaped our understanding of heredity and life itself.

In 1953, Watson, alongside Francis Crick, published their groundbreaking model of DNA in the journal Nature, building upon crucial X-ray diffraction data primarily gathered by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. This discovery, often hailed as a turning point in science, revealed how genetic information is stored and replicated, laying the foundation (Review) for modern molecular biology and the eventual mapping of the human genome. Their work earned Watson, Crick, and Wilkins the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962.

Watson's legacy, while celebrated for his scientific contributions, is also marked by controversy. He faced criticism for his portrayal of Rosalind Franklin in his book "The Double Helix" and later in life, for making inflammatory remarks on race and intelligence, which led to the revocation of some of his honorary titles and positions. Despite these controversies, his initial discovery of the DNA structure remains a cornerstone of biological science.