{"name":"Discovery of DNA Double Helix","slug":"discovery-of-dna-double-helix","category":"genetics","year":1953,"discoverers":["James Watson","Francis Crick","Rosalind Franklin"],"is_featured":true,"url":"https://speciesfyi.com/discovery/discovery-of-dna-double-helix/","description":"The elucidation of the double helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, revealing how genetic information is physically encoded in all living organisms.","significance":"Provided the structural basis for understanding how DNA replicates and transmits genetic information, launching the era of molecular biology.","methodology":"X-ray crystallography of DNA fibres by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins (Photo 51) combined with model building by Watson and Crick at Cambridge.","impact":["Founded molecular biology as a discipline","Enabled the Human Genome Project","Laid groundwork for genetic engineering and CRISPR"],"related_species":[]}