Development of Recombinant Technology, Milestones
1869 Miescher isolated DNA for the first time.
1944 Avery proved that geneticinformation is carried by DNA rather than protein.
1953 Watson and Crick demonstrated the double-helical structure of DNA based on X-ray results of Franklin and Wilkins.
1957 Kornberg discovered DNA polymerase, the enzyme that copies strands of DNA (DNA replication).
1961 Marmur and Doty discovered that DNA single strands can reform the double-helical structure, establishing that the nucleic acids can be specifically identified by renaturation reactions.
1966 Nirenberg, Ochoa and Khorana elucidate the genetic code.
1967 Gellert discovered DNA ligase, the enzyme used to join DNA fragments together.
1970 Khorana synthesis of the first gene.
1970 Temin and Baltimore reverse transcriptase discovered RNA to DNA.
1970 Nathans and Hamilton Smith characterisation of DNA restriction nucleases, leading to their later purification and use of DNA sequence
1972 Jackson first recombinant DNA molecules generated.
1972 to 1973 DNA cloning techniques were developed by the laboratories of Boyer, Cohen, Berg and their colleagues at Stafford University and the University of California at San Fransisco.
1975 Southern developed gel-transfer hybridisation for the detection of DNA sequences.
1976 Kan, Golbus and Dozy first prenatal diagnosis using a gene-specific probe.
1975 to 1977 Sanger and Barrell and Maxam and Gilbert developed radid DNA-sequencing methods.
1977 Jeffries and Flavell discovery of gene splicing.
1977 Itakura somatostatin synthesised using recombinant DNA.
1978 Maniatis and colleagues construct human gene libraries.
1979 Burrell first recombinant vaccines.
1981 to 1982 Palmiter and Brinster produced transgenic mice.
1985 Mullis and co-workers invented the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
1985 Development of DNA fingerprinting.
1986 Start of genome project.
1990 Gene therapy for the adenine deaminase gene.
1990 to 1998 Intense development of modified organisms including plants with resistance to viruses, insects, and herbicides, with modified storage properties, modified protein and oil contents, and expressing animal proteins. Development of transgenic animals secreting therapeutic proteins in milk. Development of recombinant vaccines using different host bacteria and viruses, some for multiple immunising properties. Cloning of a sheep from a somatic cell and development to adulthood (cloning performed) in 1990). First reproducible cloning of a mammal from adult cells (of mice) by scientists at University of Hawaii (1998). Entire genetic blueprint of the nematode worm decoded (1998).
 
DNA =

RNA =

PCR =

Deoxyribonucleic acid.

Ribonucleic acid.

Polymerase Chain Reaction

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page