Research for DNA Day Project:

1859 – Charles Darwin/Alfred Wallace – (discovery) determined that
members of a population who are better adapted to the environment survive and
pass on their traits. Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species. (impact) His
discovery brought controversy and brought about a new scientific thought.
(country) The discovered evolution while working in England. (awards) He won
the Royal Medal, the Wollaston Medal, and the Copley Medal.
"Charles Darwin." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml>.

1866 – Gregor Mendel – (discovery) published the results of his
investigations of the inheritance in pea plants and he created the science of
genetics. (impact) His discovery allowed future scientists to conduct research on
heredity. (country) He was in Austria-Hungary when he discovered genetics.
(awards) He did not win any awards.
“Online Education Kit: 1865: Mendel's Peas." Online Education Kit: 1865: Mendel's Peas. N.p., n.d. Web.
20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.genome.gov/25520230>.

1879 – Walther Flemming – (discovery) described chromosome behavior
during animal cell division and was one of the first scientists to observe mitosis.
He also developed a way to stain chromosomes. (impact) His ideas were
combined with Mendel’s twenty years later to provide future scientists with their
knowledge. (country) He was in Germany when he observed cell division.
(awards) His name was awarded with a medal by the German Society for Cell
Biology.
"Walther Flemming (German Biologist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.
Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/210024/Walther-Flemming>.

1911 – Thomas Hunt Morgan – (discovery) used fruit flies as a model
organism to show that genes are units of heredity and that chromosome carry
genes. (impacts) His discoveries made it possible to conduct a series of questions
about the function and structure of genes. (country) He was in America at
Columbia University when the discovery was made. (awards) He won the Nobel
Prize in 1933 in Physiology.
"Online Education Kit: 1911: Fruit Flies Illuminate the Chromosome Theory." Online Education Kit: 1911:
Fruit Flies Illuminate the Chromosome Theory. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013

1941 – George Beadle and Edward Tatum – they showed that genes act by
chemical events, therefore coming up with the “one gene, one enzyme”
hypothesis. Proposed that each gene directs the formation of one enzyme. They
shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. They were working in America
at the time of the discovery.
"GNN - Genetics and Genomics Timeline." GNN - Genetics and Genomics Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 21
Mar. 2013. <http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/resources/timeline/1941_Beadle_Tatum.php>.
Tatum

1943 – William Astbury – obtained the first X-ray diffraction pattern of
DNA. He observed that nucleotide bases were stacked on top of each other. He
was given many awards and honorary degrees. His discovery was made in Britain.
"Online Education Kit: 1943: X-ray Diffraction of DNA." Online Education Kit: 1943: X-ray Diffraction of
DNA. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. <http://www.genome.gov/25520249>.

1953 – Francis Crick and James Watson – they described the double helix
structure of DNA. They built a DNA model that showed the double helix shape,
the sugar and phosphate groups, and the nucleotide bases (adenine, cytosine,
guanine, and thymine) all paired specifically. They received the Nobel Prize for
Physiology or Medicine. They were working at Cambridge University in the United
Kingdom when the discovery was made.
"Online Education Kit: 1953: DNA Double Helix." Online Education Kit: 1953: DNA Double Helix. N.p., n.d.
Web. 24 Mar. 2013. <http://www.genome.gov/25520255>.

1959 – Jerome Lejeune – discovered that Down syndrome was caused by
trisomy 21 (an extra copy of chromosome 21). The extra copies affect
development of the brain and body. He was in France when he made this
discovery. He received numerous awards and was elected as a member of several
academies.
"Online Education Kit: 1959: Chromosome Abnormalities Identified." Online Education Kit: 1959:
Chromosome Abnormalities Identified. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.genome.gov/25520259>.

1966 – Marshall Nirenberg, Har Khorana, and Severo Ochoa – cracked the
genetic code and showed how nucleic acids determine the order of the 20 kinds
of amino acids in proteins. In time, they deciphered the first codon. Khorana and
Nirenberg won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This discovery was in
America. "Online Education Kit: 1966: Genetic Code Cracked." Online Education Kit: 1966: Genetic
Code Cracked. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. <http://www.genome.gov/25520300>.

1972 – Paul Berg – was one of the first to produce a recombinant DNA
molecule. He also urged the National Institutes of Health to allow research of
recombinant DNA technology. This was done at Stanford University in the United
States of America. Paul Berg won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
"Online Education Kit: 1972: First Recombinant DNA." Online Education Kit: 1972: First Recombinant
DNA. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. <http://www.genome.gov/25520302>.