Would private research have ever discovered the structure of DNA? And why? How do you defend this R&D project to your board of directors in the early 1950's? Wh

Would private research have ever discovered the structure of DNA? And why? How do you defend this R&D project to your board of directors in the early 1950's? What does the ROI calculation look like? Companies are good at research when there is a payoff in sight. What about the fields with no quick return? Or the fields that don't yet exist?