The fiftieth anniversary of Crick and Watson's
seminal publication on the structure of DNA
was an opportunity to celebrate Francis Crick's
association with Mill Hill Foundation School, the
Institute's close neighbour by inviting their students
to an event at NIMR. Eighty-five year old Crick
endorsed the occasion by sending a charming letter
in which he paid tribute to his science teachers
of the 1930s and made an appeal for another generation
to be excited by modern biology. The theme of the
meeting was the remarkable chemistry of DNA and
the implications of new insights into the human
genome. Steve Gamblin from the Institute talked
of the elegance of DNA replication and gene expression,
but also dwelt on the fragility of DNA that leads
to genetic disease, cancer and ageing. Iain Robinson's
theme was our genetic individuality in health and
disease and how the genome was a marvellous resource
for new protein medicines. The meeting ended with
a discussion between NIMR's graduate students, the
speakers and our visitors, about the future of biology
and about how individuals can participate in the
exciting world that Francis Crick still so clearly
appreciates. Quite independently of our events,
the artists Denise Wyllie and Clare O Hagan have
produced a series of remarkable images that convey
something of the new vistas revealed by Crick and
Watson's publication of fifty years ago. Prints
of their work are on permanent display in the School.
© 2003. National Institute for Medical Research,
Mill Hill.
http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/millhillessays
Two of the images are shown here: DNA - A vision
of Rosalind II and DNA - revealing II.
