Profiles in Science now features the Francis Crick Collection. Incorporating the Francis Crick Collection has been a joint effort between the Lister Hill Center, the NLM's History of Medicine Division, and the United Kingdom's Wellcome Library.

Francis Crick (1916-2004) is inextricably linked to the discovery of the double helix of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in 1953, considered the most significant advance in biology since Darwin's theory of evolution. The insights of Crick and his collaborator, James D. Watson, into the structure of DNA and into the genetic code made possible a new understanding of heredity at the molecular level.

"Major current advances in science and biotechnology, such as genetic engineering, the mapping of the human genome, and genetic fingerprinting, all have their origins in Crick's inspired work," said Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., director of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. "The double helix has not only reshaped biology, it has become a cultural icon, represented in sculpture, visual art, jewelry, and toys."

During a research career spanning more than 50 years, the theoretical biologist and biophysicist also made fundamental contributions to structural studies of important biological molecules through X-ray analysis, to our understanding of protein synthesis, to the deciphering of the genetic code by which hereditary information is stored and transcribed in the cell, and to our conception of the human brain.

The online exhibition features correspondence, lecture notes, draft and published articles, laboratory notebooks, and photographs from the Francis Crick collection. The addition of the Crick Collection brings the total number to 14 collections of notable researchers and public health officials included on the Profiles in Science Web Site.