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The man who almost discovered the double helix

The man who almost discovered the double helix

Kersten Hall charts the life and successes of scientist William Astbury – the man who almost discovered DNA’s structure

Emily Briffett

Published: March 29, 2023 at 8:17 AM

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Seventy years since James Watson and Francis Crick first revealed DNA’s double-helix structure, Dr Kersten Hall shares the story of the scientist who almost beat them to their major discovery: molecular biologist William Astbury. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Kersten details how, despite missing this major opportunity, Astbury forged a new discipline, made pioneering steps in the field of X-ray crystallography – and also wore a coat made of peanuts.

Authors

Emily BriffettSenior content producer (podcasts)

Emily Briffett is senior content producer (podcasts) at HistoryExtra