DNA pioneer censured for offensive race remarks dies

US scientist James Watson, who co-discovered the double-helix shape of DNA, has died aged 97.

The Chicago-born DNA pioneer was just 24 when he made the breakthrough discovery, which cemented his place as a distinguished scientist for decades. The discovery turned him into a legendary figure, but later in life he faced condemnation for offensive remarks, including saying black people are less intelligent than white people.

Watson shared the 1962 Nobel Prize with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for discovering that deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a double helix, consisting of two strands that coil around each other to create what resembles a long, gently twisting ladder. That discovery revealed how genetic information is stored and how cells replicate their DNA during division, a process that begins with the two DNA strands separating like a zipper.

Even outside the scientific community, the double helix became an instantly recognizable emblem of science, appearing in works by artists like Salvador Dali and even on a British postage stamp. The discovery paved the way for modern advances, including genetic engineering, gene therapy to treat diseases, identifying individuals through DNA, and mapping family histories.

At the same time, it has sparked ethical debates over whether it is appropriate to alter the body's genetic blueprint for cosmetic purposes or in ways that could be inherited by future generations. "There was no way we could have foreseen the explosive impact of the double helix on science and society," Watson once wrote.

Watson never achieved another laboratory breakthrough of the same magnitude. However, in the years that followed, he authored influential textbooks and a best-selling memoir; helped guide the project to map the human genome; mentored promising young scientists; and leveraged his reputation and connections to shape science policy.

Complicated legacy Watson became the focus of criticism in 2007, when The Sunday Times Magazine quoted him as saying he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - where all the testing says not really". He said that while he hopes everyone is equal, "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true".

Watson later apologised, but was suspended from his job as chancellor of the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. He stepped down a week later, after nearly 40 years in various leadership roles.

More than a decade later, in a television documentary that aired in 2019, Watson reaffirmed that his views have not changed. The director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr Francis Collins, said in 2019 that Watson has shown "a regrettable tendency toward inflammatory and offensive remarks, especially late in his career".

"His outbursts, particularly when they reflected on race, were both profoundly misguided and deeply hurtful," said Dr Collins. "I only wish that Jim's views on society and humanity could have matched his brilliant scientific insights.".