When July 25 arrives, be sure to spare a moment to remember Rosalind Franklin, who was born on that date 100 years ago. In anticipation of the centenary, GEN has made a point of assembling a July issue that not only honors Franklin’s achievements, but also recognizes the contributions of today’s women scientists. We present a commentary that recalls Franklin’s role in discovering DNA’s structure; a feature that highlights the COVID-19 research being performed by leading women scientists; and a Top 10 list of well-compensated women executives in biopharma. This lineup, we feel, strikes a balance between guardedness and hopefulness. While we acknowledge that the struggle to overcome sexism goes on, we also celebrate women scientists who are making their mark and benefitting everyone. Of course, the July issue covers much else, including translational microbiomics, CRISPR screening, and the debottlenecking of advanced biomanufacturing.