Rosalind Franklin was a renowned chemist from England who did pioneering work in the field of X-ray crystallography. Born to rich family, she pursued her education from premier institutions and was a bright student. Achieving stellar grades in the matriculation examination she received a scholarship but her father asked her to give the scholarship to deserving refugee student. It was when she enrolled at Cambridge that her scientific career truly began. She did an extensive study on coals and classified them into different category on the basis of their efficiency as a fuel. During one such study she was introduced to the technique of x-ray crystallography and Rosalind was intrigued by its scope thus deciding on pursuing a career in this field. She used x-ray imagery of coal to understand the changes occurring at molecular level in carbon when amorphous coal changes to solid graphite. Next she embarked on her most important discovery, the structure of DNA molecule. Working with Maurice Wilkins and a doctorate student Raymond Gosling, she was able to correctly assess the structure of DNA. Her theory that DNA consists of two helical structures was later confirmed by scientists James Watson and Francis Crick. She also played an important role in deciphering the RNA structure. Read on to know more about her life and works.