Science
Alexander Stokes
DNA X-ray diffraction researcher
Also known as Alec Stokes
Who they are
Alexander “Alec” Stokes worked on the X-ray analysis of DNA at King’s College London. With Maurice Wilkins and Herbert Wilson, he coauthored an experimental paper published alongside the Watson–Crick structural model in April 1953. His profile makes that accompanying team’s contribution visible while keeping the three Nature papers and their authorship distinct.
He represents the experimental work and shared credit behind the timeline’s DNA-structure milestone.
Selected contributions
- Coauthored the 1953 DNA diffraction paper with Wilkins and Herbert Wilson.Source ↗Source 2 ↗
Selected works
Academic paper · 1953
Molecular Structure of Deoxypentose Nucleic Acids
Wilkins, Stokes and Wilson present preliminary X-ray evidence for helical nucleic-acid chains and discuss agreement with the Watson–Crick model. Their experimental paper acknowledges remaining ambiguity and the contributions of Franklin and Gosling.
One of three related Nature papers published April 25, 1953; separate from the Watson–Crick and Franklin–Gosling papers.
Bibliographic details ↗Publisher details ↗Full text ↗
Reading scope & citation
Freshly read bibliographic record: author list, publication date, pages and DOI. No abstract is supplied; the full article was not freshly inspected. Fresh indexed publisher metadata plus reused inspected King’s account of the three-paper sequence; full paper not freshly read. Opening, interpretation conclusion, acknowledgments, author signatures and issue date read; full mathematical analysis not audited.
DOI: 10.1038/171738a0
In the timeline
Documented connections
Documented · co authored with
Maurice Wilkins and Alec Stokes co-authored an accompanying experimental DNA paper with Herbert Wilson.
This pair represents a three-author paper; Wilson must remain credited. The original experimental paper was not inspected in full.
Read the relationship record →Biography sources
- King’s and DNA ↗King’s College London
- Molecular structure of deoxypentose nucleic acids ↗Nature; PubMed bibliographic record