The Irish Role in the Discovery of the Secret of Life

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Online, Friday 30th October

As a geneticist, our speaker Mark Lawler has always been fascinated about the research that uncovered the “Secret of Life” as Francis Crick described the discovery of the structure of DNA in, of all places, the Eagle Pub in Cambridge. But Mark’s hero in this seminal discovery was not the cerebral Francis Crick, nor his more brash American colleague James Watson.

In his public lecture as part of the celebrations of the 80th Anniversary of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, Mark will focus on the oft forgotten contribution of Rosalind Franklin, the Dark Lady of DNA, who did so much but received so little. But the more he delved into this fascinating and sometimes sad story, the more Mark realised that there was a significant Irish connection, one that involved a number of what might seem at first unlikely players, including Eamon De Valera and Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. Mark will bring you back to a time when Ireland, and, in particular, Dublin, was at the heart of the scientific universe and share with you a story that is exciting, puzzling, challenging, but never dull.


Date:
Friday 30th October
Time:
6.00pm
Price:
Free

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