Franklin was born in London, England, in 1920. She studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge and then went on to complete a PhD in physical chemistry at the University of Cambridge in 1945. After completing her PhD, she worked as a research associate at the British Coal Utilisation Research Association, where she studied the structure of coal.
In 1951, Franklin moved to King's College London to work in the laboratory of Maurice Wilkins. Wilkins was also working on the structure of DNA, and Franklin's expertise in X-ray crystallography was a valuable asset to the team. Together, they produced a number of important X-ray diffraction patterns of DNA, which provided crucial information about its structure.
In 1953, Watson and Crick published their paper on the double-helix structure of DNA, based in part on the work of Franklin and Wilkins. Franklin was not given credit for her work, and she was not invited to attend the announcement of the discovery.
Franklin continued her research on the structure of DNA and other biological molecules until her death from ovarian cancer in 1958. She was only 37 years old.
Despite the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field, Franklin made significant contributions to the field of X-ray crystallography and the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA and other biological molecules. Her work paved the way for the development of new drugs and treatments for diseases, and she is considered one of the most important scientists of the twentieth century.