Letter from Alexander Rich to Francis Crick

Letter from Alexander Rich to Francis Crick

Contributor(s):
The Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine. Francis Harry Compton Crick Papers
Crick, Francis, 1916-2004
Rich, Alexander
Publication:
Produced: 2 May 1958
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Genetic Code
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Letters (correspondence)
Abstract:
Rich reported on his studies of the structure of RNA. He had found that a strand of poly-A (a synthetic strand of RNA consisting entirely of adenine), when combined with a strand of poly-U (a complementary strand consisting of uracil, which replaces the closely related thymine in RNA), spontaneously paired with poly-U to form a double helix similar to DNA. This double-helical form of RNA produced clear X-ray diffraction patterns that allowed inferences regarding the positions, angles, and bonds within the RNA molecule, which in its usual form is single-stranded and thus does not produce good diffraction images.. At the outset of his letter, Rich described his reaction to the death of Rosalind Franklin.
Copyright:
This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use.
Extent:
4 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584582X17 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
SCBBCD
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584582X17
Archival Collection:
The Francis Crick Papers (Profiles in Science)