Francis Crick

Francis Crick
OM FRS
Francis Crick OM FRS
Born	Francis Harry Compton Crick; 8 June 1916; Weston Favell, Northamptonshire, England
Died	28 July 2004 (aged 88); San Diego, California, US
Education	University College London; University of London (BSc); University of Cambridge (PhD);
Occupations	Molecular biologist; biophysicist; neuroscientist;
Known for	Crick, Brenner et al. experiment; Watson–Crick pair; Coiled coil; DNA structure; mRNA; Adaptor hypothesis; Sequence hypothesis; Wobble hypothesis; Central dogma; Consciousness; Reverse learning; Selfish genetic element;
Spouses	; Ruth Doreen Dodd (m. 1940; div. 1947) Odile Speed (m. 1949)
Children	3
Awards	Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (1960); Gairdner Foundation International Award (1962); Nobel Prize (1962); Mendel Medal (1966); Royal Medal (1972); Copley Medal (1975); Sir Hans Krebs Medal (1977); Albert Medal (1987); Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1987); Order of Merit (1991);
	Scientific career
Fields	Physics; Molecular biology;
Institutions	University of Cambridge; University College London; Cavendish Laboratory; Laboratory of Molecular Biology; Salk Institute for Biological Studies;
Thesis	Polypeptides and Proteins: X-Ray Studies (1953)
Doctoral advisor	Max Perutz
Doctoral students	None
Website	www.crick.ac.uk/about-us/francis-crick
Signature

Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS^[3]^[4] (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. He, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins played crucial roles in deciphering the helical structure of the DNA molecule.

Crick and Watson's paper in Nature in 1953 laid the groundwork for understanding DNA structure and functions.^[5] Together with Maurice Wilkins, they were jointly awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material".^[2]^[6]

Crick was an important theoretical molecular biologist and played a crucial role in research related to revealing the helical structure of DNA. He is widely known for the use of the term "central dogma" to summarise the idea that once information is transferred from nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) to proteins, it cannot flow back to nucleic acids. In other words, the final step in the flow of information from nucleic acids to proteins is irreversible.^[7]

During the remainder of his career, Crick held the post of J.W. Kieckhefer Distinguished Research Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. His later research centred on theoretical neurobiology and attempts to advance the scientific study of human consciousness. Crick remained in this post until his death in 2004; "he was editing a manuscript on his death bed, a scientist until the bitter end" according to Christof Koch.^[8]

^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
^ ^a ^b ^c Rich, A.; Stevens, C. F. (2004). "Obituary: Francis Crick (1916–2004)". Nature. 430 (7002): 845–847. Bibcode:2004Natur.430..845R. doi:10.1038/430845a. PMID 15318208. S2CID 686071.
^ Anon (2015). "Fellowship of the Royal Society 1660–2015". London: Royal Society. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015.
^ Cite error: The named reference rsbm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Watson, James; Crick, Francis (25 April 1953). "Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid". Nature. 171 (4356): 737–738. Bibcode:1953Natur.171..737W. doi:10.1038/171737a0. PMID 13054692.
^ The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962. Nobel Prize Site for Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962.
^ Crick FH (1958). "On protein synthesis" (PDF). Symp. Soc. Exp. Biol. 12: 138–63. PMID 13580867. Archived from the original (PDF reprint) on 12 September 2005.
^ Shermer, Michael (30 July 2004). "Astonishing Mind: Francis Crick 1916–2004". Skeptics Society. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2006.

[achievement.org-1] "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.

[Obituary-2] Rich, A.; Stevens, C. F. (2004). "Obituary: Francis Crick (1916–2004)". Nature. 430 (7002): 845–847. Bibcode:2004Natur.430..845R. doi:10.1038/430845a. PMID 15318208. S2CID 686071.

[frs-3] Anon (2015). "Fellowship of the Royal Society 1660–2015". London: Royal Society. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015.

[rsbm-4] Cite error: The named reference rsbm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] Watson, James; Crick, Francis (25 April 1953). "Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid". Nature. 171 (4356): 737–738. Bibcode:1953Natur.171..737W. doi:10.1038/171737a0. PMID 13054692.

[6] The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962. Nobel Prize Site for Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962.

[auto-7] Crick FH (1958). "On protein synthesis" (PDF). Symp. Soc. Exp. Biol. 12: 138–63. PMID 13580867. Archived from the original (PDF reprint) on 12 September 2005.

[8] Shermer, Michael (30 July 2004). "Astonishing Mind: Francis Crick 1916–2004". Skeptics Society. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2006.

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