International DNA day

International DNA day is being celebrated on April 25th, the 60th anniversary of the publication of the Molecular Structure of DNA by Watson and Crick.

On April 25th, 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick published one of the greatest biological discoveries of our time. It was so profound that, from solving crimes and finding horse meat in burgers to creating designer babies, we still benefit from – and grapple with – new consequences.

The scientific paper in question, which provided the first explanation of the double-helix structure of DNA, was published in the journal Nature on April 25th, 1953; its publication changed everything about our understanding of the science of genetics.

A copy of the pioneering paper is currently available free-to-view on the Naturewebsite.

Posted by Tim Sandle