The Race for the Double Helix - Essay Example

College level The Race for the Double Helix Introduction The discovery of DNA is without doubt the most significant discovery made by scientists in the field of Biology. The biggest puzzle for scientists up to the early fifties was the mystery that was DNA. Scientists wanted to find out its structure, as well as its genetic code component and use. Today we know that DNA has a linear double helix structure, a discovery made in 1953 in England. Three scientists Watson, Crick, and Wilkin won a Nobel Prize for the important discovery. Few acknowledgements were made to Franklin for this discovery yet her contribution was more than significant. The discovery of the DNA was a race between two pairs of scientist: Watson and Crick versus Franklin and Wilkin (these two, however, found difficulty working together). This race came to be termed as The Race for the Double Helix made into a movie directed by Mick Jackson in 1987. This paper is devoted to the problems that Rosalind Franklin faced in the 1950’s as a university-based woman scientist in Great Britain as she sought to uncover the mystery of DNA. We are going to review her experience as depicted in The Race for the Double Helix movie. The essay compares and contrasts Franklin’s experience as a scientist working on DNA with the experiences of Crick and Watson as well as those of her supposedly partner Wilkin. The paper specifically discusses how the Franklin case illustrates the concepts of the gender binary system, the gender role deviance, and male-norming. The paper further seeks to unravel the unethical practices treatments that were directed to Franklin. To begin with is a narration of The Race for the Double Helix. Summary of the movie The Race for the Double Helix details the experience of four scientists working towards unraveling the mystery of human life by explaining the structure of DNA molecule. The scientists are somewhat two separate rival teams competing to be the first to discover. The film shows the race that opens in1951 where James Watson, an American Scientist, attends a conference in Italy addressing the structure of DNA. Maurice Wilkin, an English biophysicist, of an X - ray diffraction image of a DNA sample, draws Watson attention to the presentation. Jolted by the presentation and determined to contribute to the DNA structure discovery, Watson travels to England since it was there that the X-ray crystallography was most advanced. Watson was convinced that the structure of DNA might be analyzed in straightforward methods as had been used with success to solve the structure of other crystals. The conviction was driven from the fact that Wilkins’s image revealed the regularity typical to a crystal. Watson intended to team up with Wilkins in the endeavor at King’s College but while in England, he just could not get to win the admiration of Wilkins. After trying various attempts to join Wilkins including using offering to introduce his sister, Walton decided to join Cambridge University where he teamed up with Francis Crick. Crick like Wilkins was a physicist with an interest in discovering the structure of DNA; he was working at Cavendish lab where Walton was now welcomed (The Race for the Double Helix). At around the same time, Rosalind Franklin, who had just returned to England from a four-year stay at Paris in France, was working. England was more appealing with its much scientific advancement and future opportunities for research. While in France, Franklin had acquired subtle experience in applying X-ray diffraction to non-crystalline substances. John Randall, the director of a special biophysics unit at King’s college recognizing the expertise of Franklin recruited her into his lab. Franklin, therefore, joined Maurice Wilkins in the quest to discover the structure of DNA. However, However, Franklin is laden with problems from the time she hits it go at the King’s college. To start with, the character of Franklin completely mismatched that of Wilkins, who being her partner they needed to connect smoothly. Franklin was quick, assertive, intense and direct confrontational. She took the discovery of DNA structure very seriously and wanted to see everything done to perfection. Wilkin, on the other hand, exceedingly shy, quiet, and often kept to himself. He was less assertive and indirect in most of the calculation and to he did not value as perfectionism as Franklin did. The two, therefore, had many difficulties working together. To make matters worse on Franklin, he did not get along smoothly with the other scientists in the college. The “French ways” that Franklin and her non-traditional tendencies and perfectionism were often a source of friction with the other scientist. She often yelled at the scientists she the interacted with; she, however, would later help them correct their mistakes. As the team at King’s college falls apart, Walton and Crick worked so closely together to each other looking for every channel to make a breakthrough in the endeavor. The team knew that the competition was just a tough one; they knew that Franklin was more of an expert in the field, and every little opportunity had to be capitalized on. Walton for instance was focused in achieving the fete of being the first to discover the structure DNA. In one instance, he said that “I'm very goal-oriented” and in another he said, “There's money in genes…fame, glory,” (The Race for the Double Helix). In addition to Franklin and Wilkins, Walton and Crick acknowledged that Linus Pauling, an American chemist, was making huge steps towards unraveling the mystery. Watson and Crick would ultimately win the race by the first week of March 1953 yet the most crucial contributions came from Kings College. Nevertheless, how did they do it, and what problems denied Franklin the opportunity to win the race? How Watson and Crick won the race We have noted that the chemistry between Franklin and Wilkins was not as good as was good for a good teamwork. Despite this, the problems created by their differences might have remained at a tolerable level were it, not for further misunderstanding initiated by Randall. Randall trusted in Franklin’s expertise; he handed over the DNA diffraction studies to Franklin at the back of Wilkins. Wilkins was not happy with this since he had been the one working on the DNA structure most recently at King’s college. Randall further did not inform Franklin of his support for Wilkins interests in DNA, contributing to the hostility between the two. The problems facing Franklin condemned her to perform her research almost in Professional isolation. Wilkins got so frustrated, and he blamed Franklin for their inability to collaborate. At one time when he is a cafe with some colleagues in the pub he lamented that Franklin did not seem to respect the fact that it was Raymond and he who had begun the work on DNA. He said that she seemed to think it was none of his business and that she was in-charge (The Race for the Double Helix). The frustrated Wilkins took to talking more to their rivals, Walton and Crick. Throughout the film, Watson appeared to be more focused on the competition and trusting in the magic of guessing. At some point, he told Crick “I don’t see why DNA should take a lifetime. Maurice Wilkins says it is a crystalline structure” (The Race for the Double Helix). By this time, Linus Pauling had already discovered the Alpha helix, which according to Watson was born out of a brilliant guess. Similarly, he encouraged a lot of guesswork in his collaboration with Crick to build the accurate structure of DNA. The two got the most crucial information from the work of Franklin, which they got with the help of Wilkins. Wilkins did not see any problem for collaboration. He naively supplied Watson and Crick crucial data based on his and Franklin’s work. He showed them Franklin’s best DNA photograph that they relied on to refine the correct solution of DNA. He also hinted to them of the availability of Franklin’s latest findings report at the King’s college, which they did not hesitate to obtain the next day. As Watson and Crick were busy creating their structure, Franklin was working on her draft paper specifying her DNA findings. Her paper was complete the day before Watson and Crick were done with theirs. She successfully applied the X-ray diffraction to DNA fiber and was consequently able to establish crucial differences between the two forms of DNA, “A” and “B.” In her report, she stated that DNA consisted of two polymeric strands, which arranged in a coaxial helical structure. She further identified that the DNA molecule had a type “C2” symmetry with phosphates on the outer section of the helix. Further, she determined the molecular diameter, the number of water molecules per structural unit, and the nucleotides number per every turn of the helix. A piece of information missing in this was how the nucleotide bases fit the structure precisely. Her report was based on experimental evidence, which she attached. It was this report that Watson and Crick used to get the structure of DNA right. They capitalized on guesses to fix the correct positions and structural pairing of the nucleotide bases. This enabled them to construct a model consistent with all known facts accounting for the role of DNA molecule. Watson and Crick published their famous paper in March 1953, the paper that received worldwide recognition and put them on the path to win the Nobel Prize in 1962. In their paper, they depicted DNA to have a double helix shape with steps of pairs of bases and formed by chains of sugar and phosphate molecules. They showed that same types of bases always paired together (adenine with thymine and guanine with cytosine); this way one half in the DNA helix contains enough information for reproduction of the entire structure. Furthermore, along the sugar-phosphate chain, the sequence of bases makes up a code of genetic information. By the time, Franklin learned of her mistake in the report it was already too late for her to turn tables around; Watson and Crick had already published their paper. The paper had everything right despite the means they had used. Franklin also had not idea that Watson and Crick had obtained any access to her work. Discussion The Race for the Double Helix clearly depicts the many problems that Rosalind Franklin faced as a woman scientist in Great Britain. Having noted that the quest for discovery of the accurate structure of DNA molecule was sort of a race, was the meritocracy observed? Meritocracy refers to a level playing field; this would require that the competitors be exposed to experiences equal in demands. Evaluating the case described above, the level was slanted against the favor of Franklin. Franklin was in a field dominated by male scientists. Whereas there were some other women colleagues in Randall’s laboratory, the males in the lab often demeaned the women and could not even dine with them apart from Franklin. This serves to depict the gender binary system that existed at the time. This was often an experience that was a frequent source of irritation to Franklin; she contested that women should enjoy equitable opportunities to men. The male scientists, however, held that the sector was not designed for women; women like Franklin were viewed to be engaging in the gender role deviance. The field of scientific research was viewed to be suited only for men. Franklin had to agree to the fact that she could not always be happy in her work, at one time she said that it made no difference whether one was happy or had no reason to be happy. She said, “It's there all the same. You look at it and say, so that's how it is” (The Race for the Double Helix). Despite all attempts for her to find happiness and peace with herself, she was agonizing in pain and had no one to talk to; after all, she was in “the wrong profession.” Watson went to the point of expressing his disapproval of Franklin engagement in the scientific research field when he says, “I don't want a scientist. I want a girl!” (The Race for the Double Helix). He was so much of a male chauvinist to point that he even took Wilkins to be Franklin’s boss implying that he could not imagine a woman being in charge. Franklin insisted on taking one-step at a time to ensure everything was perfect. She did not see the reason to hurry to win the race as she told Raymond, who was the only intellectual available to assist her in her technical details and discussion of the DNA problem. Franklin had no idea of the completion mindedness that her “competitors” Walton and Crick had, yet she hoped to complete her research in good time. According to Watson, the whole concept of building a model was to make it conform to all known fact even if it meant guess work. Whereas Watson chased public glory and could not accept failure, Franklin took pleasure in knowing the WHY behind the solution. Consequently risks could not be taken in the process, everything had to be proved empirically. Wilkins tilted the playing field even further in favor of Walton and Crick by offering to collaborate with them whereas he was meant to support Franklin. Franklin was left on her own against the other scientists who took to “fishing from her boat.” (The Race for the Double Helix). The fact that Randall supported Wilkins interest in the DNA problem contributed in worsening the situation for Franklin. As time goes by, Franklin found herself in a double bind situation. This is a situation in which a person cannot win for losing; a situation of irresolvable dilemma such that either way one will fail. There was little she could have done to turn tables round after the Watson and Crick had published their “Perfect” paper. The system had proved unbeatable for her; all her pains and struggles with measurements went unrecognized. She had no clue of what forces she was against that her results and report had been the breakthrough point for her rivals. In the end, she had to accept failure and move on with life; after all, she was not seeking glory. She was also unfortunate to suffer sudden death before the Nobel Prize was won. Ethical Issues Franklin took all the pain and employed a methodical approach in her research about the DNA structure. She insisted on details, to her “Satisfaction doesn't  come from knowing the solution. It comes from knowing WHY it's the solution” (The Race for the Double Helix). She did not see any reason for jumping into any conclusion unless it was empirically proved. Unlike Franklin, Watson and Crick, did little labor intensive experiments if any, they ventured in many guesses regarding the DNA structure. They based their guesses upon the work of other scientists. The two even used the Franklin's results, obtained from an unpublished report she had already submitted to her director. Whereas Science allows for this kind of information integration and cooperation, it was unethical for Watson and Crick to acquire Franklin’s data and results without her knowledge yet she was working on the same DNA problem. In the end, Watson and Crick took all the glory simply because their speculation made it possible for their model to conform uniquely to all known properties about the DNA molecule. It was also unethical for Watson and Crick not to acknowledge the key contributions made by Franklin to enable the success of the discovery. Franklin is responsible for distinguishing between types “A” versus type “B” of DNA. Moreover, she measured the unit cell dimensions, and identified the space group, which indicated the anti-parallel nature of the backbone. Clearly, Franklin deserved full credit for her work, but on the contrary got none. The fact that Watson and to some fewer extents Crick displayed competitive attitudes towards the other researchers on the DNA research was also unethical given that Scientific research should be fostered on collaboration. Wilkins though he agreed to collaborate with Watson and Crick acted unethically towards his own partner Franklin by giving out her research findings with her knowledge. Works Cited The Race for the Double Helix. Mick Jackson. Jeff Goldblum, Tim Pigott-Smith, Alan Howard, Juliet Stevenson. UK 1987 Color. 1987. DVD Read More