Rome, 7 Nov. (LaPresse/AP) – Scientist James Watson, who shared the Nobel Prize for his contribution to the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, has died at the age of 97. His death was announced by his former research laboratory. Watson also helped lead efforts to map the human genome. The scientist shared the 1962 Nobel Prize with his collaborator Francis Crick and scientist Maurice Wilkins for discovering in 1953 that DNA was shaped like a long, slightly twisted ladder. The discovery, made when the young Watson was only 24, made him a revered figure in the world of science for decades. Towards the end of his life, however, Watson faced professional condemnation and censure for some offensive statements, including one that blacks were less intelligent than whites. Watson's discovery was a landmark event, and even among non-scientists, the double helix has become an instantly recognisable symbol of science, appearing in places such as the works of Salvador Dalí and on a British postage stamp.
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