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The library at Wellcome Collection
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'Heredity Chart VI', published for the Eugenics Society by George Philip & Son Ltd. Copyright Galton Institute, London. Credit: Wellcome Library, London
An online research resource for the history of genetics, including digitised books and archives from the Wellcome Library and partner institutions.
The papers of some of the leading figures in the genetics revolution of the 20th century have been digitised for this online research resource.
More on the digitised archives
Alan Coulson helped to establish techniques that laid the foundations for the science of genomics.
More on the Alan Coulson papers
Francis Galton was an accomplished figure in late 19th century science. Known chiefly for his work on heredity and eugenics, he also made important contributions to fields such as forensics and statistical methods.
More on the Francis Galton papers
By discovering (with James Watson) the double helix of DNA, and helping to crack its code, Francis Crick laid the foundations of modern molecular biology.
More on the Francis Crick papers
With Francis Crick, Sydney Brenner laid much of the groundwork for our understanding of how cells read the genetic code.
More on the Sydney Brenner papers
Rosalind Franklin was a brilliant X-ray crystallographer whose photograph of a fibre of DNA was critical to James Watson and Francis Crick's discovery of the double helix.
More on the Rosalind Franklin papers
James Watson combined his expertise in genetics with Francis Crick's understanding of complex molecular structures to crack the biggest biological problem of the 20th century: the structure of DNA.
More on the James Watson papers
Maurice Wilkins began the studies on the crystalline structure of DNA that ultimately led to the discovery of the double helix by James Watson and Francis Crick.
More on the Maurice Wilkins papers
from Darwin to modern day
Browse more than 650 digitised books
The papers of twenty two scientists and organisations have been digitised for this research resource. Find out which archives are available online.
Science writer Georgina Ferry explores how the men and women of science shaped our understanding of modern genetics.
1 March 2013
