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David Charles Watts (August 5, 1931 - December 22, 2015) was an English biochemist and glass historian. Working together with his wife, Rosemary Langton Watts, and others, he developed in the 1980's a screening test for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The test allowed to identify healthy fetuses that would have been otherwise terminated.

After retiring as a biochemist, he turned to researching the history of glass technology. He suggested a revolutionary, if contested, theory about the original of lead glass.

Biochemistry Career
Born to a working class family in Edmonton, Middlesex (now part of Greater London), Watts was able to pursue higher education largely due to Howard Wilson education reforms. He studied in King's College, London, and was awarded a Phd from University College London. He later spent most of his scientific career in Guy's Hospital medical school, where he was awarded a second doctoral degree.

Watts research focused on muscle enzymes, especially creatine kinase. He first studied how enzyme catalysts involved in energy regeneration in muscle vary between different animal species, including marine species. He went on to study the role of enzymes in disease processes, and especially in the diagnosis of diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

In the 1980's Watts and his colleagues developed the first successful prenatal screening test for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The test was based on the level of creatine kinase in the blood samples from the fetuses. Prior to the development of this test, mothers at high risk of carrying the DMD gene were advised to non-selectively terminate all male pregnancies. The new test allowed to identify male fetuses at much lower risk of being affected. This test has now been largely replaced by a DNA-based test.

Glass History
Watts had been antique glass collector since the 1960's, and an active member of several glass-related organisations, such as The Glass Circle, The Glass Association, and The Contemporary Glass Society.

Having retired from scientific career, he went on to research the history of glass technology. He was interested especially in glass making in Southwark and London in general. He published his findings in Glassmaking in London (2009, 2014). He also translated to English "Glass Recipes of the Renaissance", an anonymous middle-ages written in Italian about glass making techniques.

Watts was interested in the development of lead glass, a major breakthrough in the history of English glass making. He suggested that lead glass could not have been developed by George Ravenscroft. [explain in a few more details]

R. J. Edwards, D. C. Watts, R. L. Watts and C. H. Rodeck, Creatine kinase estimation in pure fetal blood samples for the prenatal diagnosis of duchenne muscular dystrophy, Prenatal Diagnosis, Volume 4, Issue 4, pages 267–277, July/August 1984.