New York, New York - James Watson – the Nobel laureate co-credited with the pivotal discovery of DNA's double-helix structure, but whose career was later tainted by his repeated racist remarks – has died, his former lab said Friday. He was 97.

The eminent biologist died Thursday in hospice care on Long Island in New York, announced the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he was based for much of his career.

Watson became among the 20th century's most storied scientists for his 1953 breakthrough discovery of the double helix with research partner Francis Crick.

Along with Crick and Maurice Wilkins, he shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for their work – momentous research that gave rise to modern biology and opened the door to new insights, including on the genetic code and protein synthesis.

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That marked a new era of modern life, allowing for revolutionary technologies in medicine, forensics, and genetics – ranging from criminal DNA testing to genetically manipulated plants.

Watson went on to do groundbreaking work in cancer research and mapping the human genome.

But he later came under fire and bowed out of public view for controversial remarks, including that Africans were not as smart as white people.

Watson told the British weekly The Sunday Times he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really."