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DNA is discovered
Gregor Mendel publishes work on heredity traits in peas. He notes that certain traits are passed from parent to offspring. Later these factors are called genes. -
DNA gets its name
Friedrich Miescher describes an acidic substance in a cell's nuclei. This substance, first called nuclein, is now identified as DNA. -
Linear genes discovered
Thomas Hunt Morgan conducts experiments where he demonstrates that genes are located linearly along chromosomes. -
Genetic factor in bacteria transferred
Fredrick Griffith, in an experiment with mice, transfers the fatal component of a bacteria causing pneumonia to a benign strain of bacteria, which then cause a fatal pneumonia in the mice. -
First pictures of DNA taken
William Astbury takes an X-ray diffraction pictures of DNA. -
Base pairs discovered
Erwin Chargaff demonstrates that the bases of DNA are equal. There is an A for every T and a C for every G. -
DNA crystals photographed
Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin image DNA crystals via X-ray. These images are the basis for the conclusions of Watson and crick. -
First animal gene cloned
Researchers fuse a segment of DNA containing a gene from the African clawed frog Xenopus with DNA from the bacterium E. coli. The frog DNA was copied and the gene it contained directed the production of a specific frog protein. -
FLAVR SAVR Tomato
The FADA approves the sale of genetically modified food. This is the first kind of genetically modified food. -
Genome Projects
Automated sequencing technology allows genome projects to accelerate. -
Dolly the sheep
The first cloning of a mammal (Dolly the sheep) is performed by Ian Wilmut and colleagues, from the Roslin institute in Scotland. -
Drosophila
The Drosophila genome is completed. The Arabidopsis genome is completed. The human genome is reported to be completed. -
Post-genomic era
The sequence of the human genome is released, and the "post-genomic era" officially begins. -
Controversies
Controversies continue over human and animal cloning, research on stem cells, and genetic modification of crops.
