Herbert Wilson
Encyclopedia
Professor Herbert R. Wilson, FRS
(1929 —2008) was a physicist, who was one of the team who worked on the structure of DNA
at King's College London
, under the direction of Sir John Randall
.
, Herbert R. Wilson joined Maurice Wilkins
at King's College London
in September 1952. The work involved X-ray diffraction studies of DNA
, nucleoprotein
s and cell nuclei. Prior to the double helix model
, their studies showed that DNAs from different sources (including biologically active transforming principle) had essentially the same structure, and confirmed that the phosphate groups were on the outside of the molecule.
and Raymond Gosling
, and the paper by Francis Crick
and James Watson
. The 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was subsequently jointly awarded to Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins.
Unfortunately, in his autobiography The Third Man of The Double Helix, Maurice Wilkins does not specifically credit Stokes, Wilson and several other co-authors of his papers in Nature. Whether this was deliberate on his part or just rather poor sub-editing by OUP is debatable. It is most likely to have been a matter of expedience, as there were more than five co-authors on several of his later papers on the subject published in Nature or, later, in the Journal of Molecular Biology. Nevertheless, both he and Alex Stokes are now recognized at King's College
as two of the eight key researchers that contributed to the discovery of the structure of the A-DNA
crystalline structure.
Following the publication of the double helical structure in 1953, Wilson participated in the refinement of the DNA structure in Wilkins' group. In 1957 Professor Wilson was appointed Lecturer in Physics at Queen's College, Dundee, then at University of St Andrews
, became a Senior Lecturer in 1964, and then Reader at the University of Dundee
in 1973. In 1962 he was Visiting Research Associate at the Children's Cancer Research Foundation, Boston Mass. In 1983 he was appointed Professor of Physics at the University of Stirling
(now Emeritus). His research at Dundee and Stirling has involved X-ray crystallographic studies of nucleic acid components and their analogues, and structural studies of flexuous viruses. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Wales, Bangor in 2005.
As a Welshman Herbert was honored by The National Eisteddfod in Wales by being given the official white robe.
After suffering from terminal cancer, Wilson died on 22 May 2008. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and two grandchildren; his son predeceased him in 1996.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(1929 —2008) was a physicist, who was one of the team who worked on the structure of DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, under the direction of Sir John Randall
John Randall
John Randall is the name of:*John Randall , mayor of Annapolis, Maryland and colonel in the American Revolution*Sir John Randall , British physicist, developer of the cavity magnetron...
.
College education
On a fellowship of the University of WalesUniversity of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
, Herbert R. Wilson joined Maurice Wilkins
Maurice Wilkins
Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins CBE FRS was a New Zealand-born English physicist and molecular biologist, and Nobel Laureate whose research contributed to the scientific understanding of phosphorescence, isotope separation, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction, and to the development of radar...
at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
in September 1952. The work involved X-ray diffraction studies of DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, nucleoprotein
Nucleoprotein
A nucleoprotein is any protein that is structurally associated with nucleic acid .Many viruses harness this protein, and they are known for being host-specific...
s and cell nuclei. Prior to the double helix model
Molecular models of DNA
Molecular models of DNA structures are representations of the molecular geometry and topology of Deoxyribonucleic acid molecules using one of several means, with the aim of simplifying and presenting the essential, physical and chemical, properties of DNA molecular structures either in vivo or in...
, their studies showed that DNAs from different sources (including biologically active transforming principle) had essentially the same structure, and confirmed that the phosphate groups were on the outside of the molecule.
Scientific discoveries and achievements
Three papers were published in Nature, April 1953, to announce a structure for DNA. Maurice Wilkins, Alex Stokes and Wilson published their paper in the same issue as the paper from Rosalind FranklinRosalind Franklin
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer who made critical contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite...
and Raymond Gosling
Raymond Gosling
Raymond Gosling is a distinguished scientist who worked with both Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin at King's College London in deducing the structure of DNA, under the direction of Sir John Randall. His other KCL colleagues included Alex Stokes and Herbert Wilson.-Early years:He was born in...
, and the paper by Francis Crick
Francis Crick
Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson...
and James Watson
James D. Watson
James Dewey Watson is an American molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, best known as one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick...
. The 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was subsequently jointly awarded to Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins.
Unfortunately, in his autobiography The Third Man of The Double Helix, Maurice Wilkins does not specifically credit Stokes, Wilson and several other co-authors of his papers in Nature. Whether this was deliberate on his part or just rather poor sub-editing by OUP is debatable. It is most likely to have been a matter of expedience, as there were more than five co-authors on several of his later papers on the subject published in Nature or, later, in the Journal of Molecular Biology. Nevertheless, both he and Alex Stokes are now recognized at King's College
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
as two of the eight key researchers that contributed to the discovery of the structure of the A-DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
crystalline structure.
Following the publication of the double helical structure in 1953, Wilson participated in the refinement of the DNA structure in Wilkins' group. In 1957 Professor Wilson was appointed Lecturer in Physics at Queen's College, Dundee, then at University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
, became a Senior Lecturer in 1964, and then Reader at the University of Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
in 1973. In 1962 he was Visiting Research Associate at the Children's Cancer Research Foundation, Boston Mass. In 1983 he was appointed Professor of Physics at the University of Stirling
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
(now Emeritus). His research at Dundee and Stirling has involved X-ray crystallographic studies of nucleic acid components and their analogues, and structural studies of flexuous viruses. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Wales, Bangor in 2005.
As a Welshman Herbert was honored by The National Eisteddfod in Wales by being given the official white robe.
After suffering from terminal cancer, Wilson died on 22 May 2008. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and two grandchildren; his son predeceased him in 1996.
Books
- Herbert R. Wilson. 1966. Diffraction of X-rays by Proteins, Nucleic Acids and Viruses., London: Arnold publs.
Original articles
- Wilkins, M.H.F., Stokes, A.R. and H.R. Wilson.(1953). Nature, 171, 737.
- Wilkins, M.H.F., Seeds, W.E., Stokes, A.R. and H.R. Wilson.(1953). Nature, 171, 759.
- Wilkins, M.H.F., Zubay, G. and H.R. Wilson. (1959). J. Mol. Biol., 1, 179.
- H.R. Wilson. (with Feughelman, M., & Langridge, R. et al.).(1955). Nature, 175, 834.
- H.R. Wilson. (with Langridge, R. et al.). (1960). J. Mol. Biol., 2, 19.
- H.R. Wilson. (with Langridge, R, et al.). (1960). J. Mol. Biol., 2, 38.
- H.R. Wilson. (with Fuller, W. et al.). (1965). J. Mol. Biol., 12, 60.
Books featuring Herbert R. Wilson, FRS
- Chomet, S. (Ed.), D.N.A. Genesis of a Discovery, 1994, Newman- Hemisphere Press, London; NB a few copies are available from Newman-Hemisphere at 101 Swan Court, London SW3 5RY (phone: 07092 060530).
- Wilkins, Maurice, The Third Man of the Double Helix: The Autobiography of Maurice Wilkins ISBN 0-19-860665-6.
- Ridley, Matt; "Francis Crick: Discoverer of the Genetic Code (Eminent Lives)" was first published in June 2006 in the US and then in the UK September 2006, by HarperCollins Publishers; 192 pp, ISBN 0-06-082333-X. [This short book is in the publisher's "Eminent Lives" series.]
- Contributed book: Mathematical and Experimental Biophysicists: Biographies and Related Fields, (Bci2, ed.), pp. 382, 31 January 2010, v.7. in Wikipedia
- Tait, Sylvia & James "A Quartet of Unlikely Discoveries" (Athena Press 2004) ISBN 1-84401-343-X
External links
- King's College London link
- Photos at 40th anniversary (From left: Raymond Gosling, Herbert Wilson, Maurice Wilkins and Alec Stokes)
- 'Death' of D.N.A. Helix (Crystalline) joke funeral card.
- First press stories on D.N.A.
