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⇱ Quiet debut for the double helix | Nature


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Abstract

Past discoveries usually become aggrandized in retrospect, especially at jubilee celebrations, and the double helix is no exception. The historical record reveals a muted response by the scientific community to the proposal of this structure in 1953. Indeed, it was only when the outlines appeared of a mechanism for DNA's involvement in protein synthesis that the biochemical community began to take a serious interest in the structure.

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Figure 1

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of the History and Philosophy of Science, , University of Pittsburgh, 1017 Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, 15260, Pennsylvania, USA

    Robert Olby

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  1. Robert Olby

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Correspondence to Robert Olby.

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Olby, R. Quiet debut for the double helix. Nature 421, 402–405 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01397

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