Maurice Wilkins (1916–2004) was a New Zealand-born British physicist and molecular biologist who played a pivotal role in elucidating the structure of DNA. Born in Pongaroa, New Zealand, Wilkins studied physics at the University of Cambridge before joining the University of London’s King’s College London.

Wilkins’ most significant contribution came through his work on X-ray diffraction studies of DNA alongside Rosalind Franklin. Their research provided crucial insights into the molecular structure of DNA, including the iconic “Photo 51,” which revealed the helical structure of DNA.

Despite tensions and controversies surrounding the sharing of data, Wilkins played a crucial role in facilitating collaboration between James Watson and Francis Crick, leading to the development of the double helix model of DNA. For their collective contributions, Watson, Crick, and Wilkins were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962, recognizing their groundbreaking discoveries in molecular biology.

Maurice Wilkins Quotes

1. “DNA is like Midas’s gold, everyone who touches it goes mad.”
— Maurice Wilkins

2. “I mean, the general rule is if you’re not prepared to make a mistake, you’re not going to make much progress.”
— Maurice Wilkins

3. “It is essential for genetic material to be able to make exact copies of itself; otherwise growth would produce disorder, life could not originate, and favourable forms would not be perpetuated by natural selection.”
— Maurice Wilkins

4. “Science and religion have in common the aim of seeking and achieving unity. Most scientists today are being led increasingly away from the fundamental aim of science to achieve unity into rather limited ways of thinking without much open-mindedness, doing things merely to meet limited material needs.”
— Maurice Wilkins