Question

Which two scientists did not work well together in their quest to solve DNA?

Answer 1

Linus Pauling and Maurice Wilkins experienced tension in the race to discover the DNA structure, overshadowed by the successful collaboration of Crick and Watson who, using Franklin's data, elucidated the double helix and won the Nobel Prize.

Step-by-step explanation:

The two scientists who famously did not work well together in their quest to solve the structure of DNA were Linus Pauling and Maurice Wilkins. While Francis Crick and James Watson collaborated at the University of Cambridge and eventually unveiled the double helix structure of DNA, there was contention with Maurice Wilkins at King's College London.

The work of Rosalind Franklin in Wilkins' lab, particularly her X-ray diffraction data, was crucial for Crick and Watson's discovery. However, there were issues regarding the sharing and interpretation of Franklin's results, leading to a competitive and fraught atmosphere among the scientists. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962, with Pauling's incorrect model of DNA not detracting from his other significant scientific contributions.

Answer 2

James Watson and Francis Crick were central to discovering DNA's double helix structure, with contentious contributions from Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin, who had a difficult professional relationship. Linus Pauling, another key figure, incorrectly modeled DNA but was still a two-time Nobel laureate for other scientific work.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scientists most famously known for their work on the structure of DNA are James Watson and Francis Crick, who were instrumental in elucidating the double helix structure of DNA.

However, in their quest to solve the structure of DNA, there were tensions particularly noted between Maurice Wilkins and his colleague Rosalind Franklin. Their fraught professional relationship, primarily due to issues of communication and recognition of Franklin's vital contributions, was a notable example of collaboration difficulties. Despite this, Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962, with the unfortunate exclusion of Franklin who had passed away by then, as Nobel prizes are not awarded posthumously.

While Watson and Crick were building the model of DNA, Linus Pauling, another prominent scientist of the era, was also attempting to solve the structure. Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner for chemistry and peace, had an incorrect model of DNA where the bases were on the outside and phosphate groups on the inside. Although his proposal for DNA's structure was not accurate, it did not overshadow his immense contributions to science.