History of Biotechnolgy

First Look at Cells

Sep 21, 1600

Robert Hooke coined the term "cells" and Antonie Van leeuwenhoek observed the first micro organisms.

Inheritance of Traits

Sep 21, 1850

Gregor Mendel, Discovered the simple laws of inheritance of traits.

Fermentation

Sep 22, 1857

Louis pasteur described the scientific basis for fermentation, Alcohol making, microbiology, Gem theory

Beginnings of DNA

Sep 22, 1869

Johann Miescher found nucleic acid in white blood cells from pus bandages. Later led scientistd to believe DNA is th einheritable material of an organism

Genes on Chromosomes

Sep 22, 1910

Thomas morgan discovered that genes were on chromosomes from studying fruit flys.

Bacteria and Genetic Material

Sep 22, 1928

Fred Grifith used mice to prove that genetic material could be moved from one strain of bacteria to another

Penicillin

Sep 22, 1928

Sir Alexander Fleming isolated penicillin from a fungus .

Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine

Sep 22, 1935

Chargaff showed that DNA the number of units of adenine equaled thymine adn the number of units of cytosine equaled guanine

One Gene Produces one Enzyme

Sep 23, 1941

Beadle and Tatum proposed the "One gene producess one enzyme" hypothesis.

Blender Experiment

Sep 23, 1953

Using their famous blender experiment Hershey and Chase provided viruses replicated using DNA and confirmed the role of DNA as the hereditary material.

X-ray Crystallogrqaphy

Sep 23, 1953

Rosiland, Franklin, and Maurice wikings established through x-ray crystallography that DNA was indeed a double helix

Structure of DNA

Sep 23, 1953

Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA.

Plasmid DNA

Sep 23, 1953

Hayes discovered plasmid DNA, circular pieces of DNA found in bacteria

Messenger RNA

Sep 23, 1961

Walter Gilbert discovered the mechanism of gene expression.

Bacterial Restriction

Sep 23, 1962

Arber, Nathans, and Smith discovered bacterial restiction enzymes that cut DNA.

64 Condons

Sep 23, 1966

Khorana and Nirenberg discovered the 64 condons (the triplet code of 3 bases in DNA)

Plasimids Isolated

Sep 23, 1967

DNa plasmids were isolated and purified by Vinograd

Escherichia coli

Sep 23, 1970

Madel and Higa were responisble for the first transformation of the becterium Escherichia coli.

Cloning

Sep 23, 1972

Cloning experiments were conducted by Boyer and Cohen.

Genetech

Sep 23, 1973

Genetech, the worlds first genetic engineering company, was founded.

Recombinant DNA

Sep 23, 1976

140 scientists met to draw up guidlines for work with recombinant DNA in microorganisms.

Sequence DNA

Sep 24, 1977

Sanger and Gilbert found a way to sequence DNA. Given an uknown piece of DNA.

Synthetic Insulin

Sep 23, 1978

Boyer inserted a synthetic insulin gene into E. coli

Vitro Fertilization

Sep 23, 1978

Louise Joy Brown was born, the first human baby resulting from vitro fertilization.

Restriction Frangment Length Polymorphism

Sep 23, 1978

Botstein found that one could be identified by the pattern amade by their DNA through digest by different enzymes.

Altered Life Forms

Sep 23, 1980

The USSC ruled that genetically altered life forms can be patented.

Transgenic Animals

Sep 23, 1980

Ohio university made the first transgenetic animals.

Eli Lily

Sep 23, 1982

Eli lily company placed a human insulin gene insided bacteria.

Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer

Sep 23, 1983

Schell, Chilton, Van Amontagu, and Horsch transformed plants with Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer.

PCR

Sep 24, 1983

Kary Mullis invented PCR

RFLP in DNA

Sep 23, 1985

Jeffries applied RFLP in DNA profiling to the study of criminal cases

Flourescence sequencer was invented

Sep 24, 1985

Flourescence sequencer was invented, speeding up the labor-intense process.

Gene Gun

Sep 24, 1985

Genes were moved into an organism through the use of a gene gun.

NIH Safety

Sep 23, 1994

NIH revised saftey guidlines for recombinant DNA to include plants grown in greenhouses and animals raised in barns.

RNA Interference

Sep 23, 1996

Andrew Fire and Craig Mello discovered RNA interference, silencing of genes, in the worm C. elegans

MAb Technology

Sep 23, 1997

Kohler, Milstein, and Jerne used monoclonal antibody technology.

YACs

Sep 23, 1997

Maynard Olson and colleagues at Washington University invented YACs.

Dolly the Sheep

Sep 23, 1997

Ian Wilmut cloned Dolly the sheep from an adult cell of ewe.

DNA chip technology

Sep 24, 1997

DNA microrray (DNA chip) technology, looking at the expression of all the genes of an organism at one time

Automated DNA sequencer

Sep 24, 1999

Dabri and Garner invented an automated DNA sequencer that had a capability of squencing 76,800 base pairs per hour.

Riboswitch

Sep 23, 2002

Ron Breaker coined the term rioboswitch for part of an mRNA molecule that can regulate its own activity.

Human Genome Project

Sep 23, 2003

Announcement was made of the completion of the Human Genome Project.