Biotechnology Timeline

2010

Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute create the first synthetic cell.

2006

The National Institutes of Health begins a 10-year, 10,000-patient stu y using a genetic test that pre icts breast-cancer recurrence an gui es treat!ent. "atients #hose cancer is ee!e unli$ely to recur #ill be spare che!otherapy. The genetic test, %ncotype &'T( #as e)elope by the biotech co!pany *eno!ic Health an is alrea y co!!ercially a)ailable.

2001

The se+uence of the hu!an geno!e is publishe in ,cience an Nature, !a$ing it possible for researchers all o)er the #orl to begin e)eloping treat!ents.

1998

- rough raft of the hu!an geno!e !ap is pro uce , sho#ing the locations of !ore than .0,000 genes. Clone )ain RT #ith fully acti)e poly!erase an !ini!i/e Rnase H acti)ity is engineere . The 0iotechnology Institute is foun e by 0I% as an in epen ent national, 1012c32.3 e ucation organi/ation #ith an in epen ent 0oar of Trustees.

1997

,cottish scientists report cloning a sheep, using &N- fro! a ult sheep cells. - group of %regon researchers clai!s to ha)e clone t#o Rhesus !on$eys. - ne# &N- techni+ue co!bines "CR, &N- chips, an a co!puter progra!, pro)i ing a ne# tool in the search for isease-causing genes.

1993

Chiron4s 0etaseron is appro)e as the first treat!ent for !ultiple sclerosis in 50 years. The 6&- eclares that genetically engineere foo s are 7not inherently angerous7 an o not re+uire special regulation. The 0iotechnology In ustry %rgani/ation 20I%3 is create by !erging t#o s!aller tra e associations.

1990

The first fe erally appro)e gene therapy treat!ent is perfor!e successfully on a 8yearol girl suffering fro! an i!!une isor er.

1988

Congress fun s the Hu!an *eno!e "ro9ect, a !assi)e effort to !ap an se+uence the hu!an genetic co e as #ell as the geno!es of other species.

1983

The "oly!erase Chain Reaction 2"CR3 techni+ue is concei)e . "CR, #hich uses heat an en/y!es to !a$e unli!ite copies of genes an gene frag!ents, later beco!es a !a9or tool in biotech research an pro uct e)elop!ent #orl #i e. The first genetic transfor!ation of plant cells by TI plas!i s is perfor!e . The first artificial chro!oso!e is synthesi/e . The first genetic !ar$ers for specific inherite iseases are foun .

:fficient !etho s are e)elope to synthesi/e ouble-stran e &N- fro! first-stran c&N- in)ol)ing !ini!al loss of se+uence infor!ation.

1981

The North Carolina 0iotechnology Center is create by the state4s *eneral -sse!bly as the nation4s first state-sponsore initiati)e to e)elop biotechnology. Thirty-fi)e other states follo# #ith biotechnology centers of )arious $in s. The first gene-synthesi/ing !achines are e)elope . The first genetically engineere plant is reporte . (ice are successfully clone .

1973

Cohen an 0oyer perfor! the first successful reco!binant &N- e;peri!ent, using bacterial genes.

1969

-n en/y!e is synthesi/e in )itro for the first ti!e.

1967

The first auto!atic protein se+uencer is perfecte .

1953

<atson an Cric$ re)eal the three- i!ensional structure of &N-.

1942

The electron !icroscope is use to i entify an characteri/e a bacteriophage- a )irus that infects bacteria.

1941

The ter! 7genetic engineering7 is first use by a &anish !icrobiologist.

1928

6le!ing isco)ers penicillin, the first antibiotic.

1919

The #or 7biotechnology7 is first use by a Hungarian agricultural engineer.

1915

"hages, or bacterial )iruses, are isco)ere .

1909

*enes are lin$e #ith here itary isor ers.

1888

The chro!oso!e is isco)ere by <al yer.

1855

The :scherichia coli bacteriu! is isco)ere . It later beco!es a !a9or research, e)elop!ent, an pro uction tool for biotechnology. "asteur begins #or$ing #ith yeast, e)entually pro)ing they are li)ing organis!s.

1802

The #or 7biology7 first appears.

1675

=eeu#enhoe$ isco)ers proto/oa an bacteria.

1663

Cells are first escribe by Hoo$e