Final answer:
The correct match is 'Wilkins and Franklin : DNA', as they were instrumental to the discovery of DNA's structure, which indirectly helped Watson and Crick construct the double helix model.
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer to the student's question, comparing several scientific duos and their associated research areas, is "c. Wilkins and Franklin : DNA." Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin were key figures in discovering the structure of DNA. In the 1950s, Franklin, working in Wilkins' laboratory, produced high-resolution X-ray diffraction images of crystallized DNA, including the famous "Photo 51," which was crucial in determining the DNA’s helical structure. James Watson and Francis Crick, also mentioned in the question, used these images, along with their own research and additional information from Chargaff's rules, to construct their pioneering model of the double helix structure of DNA. In 1962, Watson, Crick, and Wilkins received the Nobel Prize for this work. Unfortunately, Franklin had passed away by that time, and thus, was not included in the Nobel accolade as the awards are not given posthumously.