1977:
The Age of biotechnology arrives with "somatostatin" - a human growth hormone-releasing
inhibitory factor, the first human protein manufactured in bacteria by Genentech, Inc. A
synthetic, recombinant gene was used to clone a protein for the first time.
1978:
Genentech, Inc. and The City of Hope National Medical Center announce the successful
laboratory production of human insulin using recombinant DNA technology. Hutchinson and
Edgell show it is possible to introduce specific mutations at specific sites in a DNA molecule.
1979:
Sir Walter Bodmer suggests a way of using DNA technology to find gene markers to show up
specific genetic diseases and their carriers. John Baxter reports cloning the gene for human
growth hormone.
1980:
The prokaryote model, E. coli, is used to produce insulin and other medicine, in human form.
Researchers successfully introduce a human gene - one that codes for the protein interferon- into
a bacterium. The U.S. patent for gene cloning is awarded to Cohen and Boyer.
1981:
Scientists at Ohio University produce the first transgenic animals by transferring genes from
other animals into mice. The first gene-synthesizing machines are developed. Chinese scientists
successfully clone a golden carp fish.
1982:
Genentech, Inc. receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market genetically
engineered human insulin. Applied Biosystems, Inc. introduces the first commercial gas phase
protein sequencer.
1983:
The polymerase chain reaction is invented by Kary B Mullis. The first artificial chromosome is
synthesized, and the first genetic markers for specific inherited diseases are found.
1984:
Chiron Corp. announces the first cloning and sequencing of the entire human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) genome. Alec Jeffreys introduces technique for DNA fingerprinting to identify
individuals. The first genetically engineered vaccine is developed.
1985:
Cetus Corporation's develops GeneAmp polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, which
could generate billions of copies of a targeted gene sequence in only hours. Scientists find a gene
marker for cystic fibrosis on chromosome number 7.
1986:
The first genetically engineered human vaccine - Chiron's Recombivax HB - is approved for the
prevention of hepatitis B. A regiment of scientists and technicians at Caltech and Applied
Biosystems, Inc. invented the automated DNA fluorescence sequencer.
1987:
The first outdoor tests on a genetically engineered bacterium are allowed. It inhibits frost
formation on plants. Genentech's tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), sold as Activase, is
approved as a treatment for heart attacks.
1988:
Harvard molecular geneticists Philip Leder and Timothy Stewart awarded the first patent for a
genetically altered animal, a mouse that is highly susceptible to breast cancer
1989:
UC Davis scientists develop a recombinant vaccine against the deadly rinderpest virus. The
human genome project is set up, a collaboration between scientists from countries around the
world to work out the whole of the human genetic code.
1990:
The first gene therapy takes place, on a four-year-old girl with an immune-system disorder called
ADA deficiency. The human genome project is formally launched.
1991:
Mary-Claire King, of the University of California, Berkeley, finds evidence that a gene on
chromosome 17 causes the inherited form of breast cancer and also increases the risk of ovarian
cancer. Tracey the first transgenic sheep is born.
1992:
The first liver xenotransplant from one type of animal to another is carried out successfully.
Chiron's Proleukin is approved for the treatment of renal cell cancer.
1993:
The FDA declares that genetically engineered foods are "not inherently dangerous" and do not
require special regulation. Chiron's Betaseron is approved as the first treatment for multiple
sclerosis in 20 years.
1994:
The first genetically engineered food product, the Flavr Savr tomato, gained FDA approval. The
first breast cancer gene is discovered. Genentech's Nutropin is approved for the treatment of
growth hormone deficiency.
1995:
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center transplanted hearts from genetically altered pigs
into baboons, proving that cross-species operations are possible. The bacterium Haemophilus
influenzae is the first living organism in the world to have its entire genome sequenced.
1996:
Biogen's Avonex is approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The discovery of a gene
associated with Parkinson's disease provides an important new avenue of research into the cause
and potential treatment of the debilitating neurological ailment.
1997:
Researchers at Scotland's Roslin Institute report that they have cloned a sheep--named Dolly-from the cell of an adult ewe. The FDA approves Rituxan, the first antibody-based therapy for
cancer.
1998:
The first complete animal genome the C.elegans worm is sequenced. James Thomson at
Wisconsin and John Gearhart in Baltimore each develop a technique for culturing embryonic
stem cells.
1999:
A new medical diagnostic test will for the first time allow quick identification of BSE/CJD a rare
but devastating form of neurologic disease transmitted from cattle to humans.
2000:
"Golden Rice," modified to make vitamin A. Cloned pigs are born for the first time in work done
by Alan Coleman and his team at PPL, the Edinburgh-based company responsible for Dolly the
sheep.
2001:
The sequence of the human genome is published in Science and Nature, making it possible for
researchers all over the world to begin developing genetically based treatments for disease.
2002:
Researchers sequence the DNA of rice, and is the first crop to have its genome decoded.
2003:
The sequencing of the human genome is completed.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Biotechnology-Timeline:-Important-Events-And-Discoveries-InBiotechnology&id=248466
1970S
1970 Specific restriction nucleases are identified, opening the way for gene cloning.
RT is discovered independently in murine and avian retroviruses.
1971 RT is shown to have ribonuclease H (Rnase H) activity.
1972 The DNA composition of humans is discovered to be 99% similar to that of chimpanzees and gorillas.
Purified RT is first used to synthesize cDNA from purified mRNA in vitro.
1973 Cohen and Boyer perform the first successful recombinant DNA experiment, using bacterial genes.
1974 The National Institute of Health forms a Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee to oversee recombinant
genetic research.
1975 Colony hybridization and Southern blotting are developed for detecting specific DNA sequences.
The first monoclonal antibodies are produced.
1976 The tools of recombinant DNA are first applied to a human inherited disorder.
Molecular hybridization is used for the prenatal diagnosis of alpha thalassemia.
Yeast genes are expressed in E. coli bacteria.
1977 Genetically engineered bacteria are used to synthesize human growth protein.
1978 North Carolina scientists Hutchinson and Edgell show it is possible to introduce specific mutations at specific
sites in a DNA molecule.
1979 The first monoclonal antibodies are produced.
1980S
1980 The U.S. Supreme Court, in the landmark case Diamond v. Chakrabarty, approves the principle of patenting
genetically engineered life forms.
The U.S. patent for gene cloning is awarded to Cohen and Boyer.
1981 The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is created by the state's General Assembly as the nation's first statesponsored initiative to develop biotechnology. Thirty-five other states follow with biotechnology centers of various
kinds.
The first gene-synthesizing machines are developed.
The first genetically engineered plant is reported.
Mice are successfully cloned.
1982 Humulin, Genentech's human insulin drug produced by genetically engineered bacteria for the treatment of
diabetes, is the first biotech drug to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
1983 The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique is conceived. PCR, which uses heat and enzymes to make
unlimited copies of genes and gene fragments, later becomes a major tool in biotech research and product
development worldwide.
The first genetic transformation of plant cells by TI plasmids is performed.
The first artificial chromosome is synthesized.
The first genetic markers for specific inherited diseases are found.
Efficient methods are developed to synthesize double-stranded DNA from first-strand cDNA involving minimal loss
of sequence information.
1984 The DNA fingerprinting technique is developed.
The first genetically engineered vaccine is developed.
Chiron clones and sequences the entire genome of the HIV virus.
1985 Fully active murine RT is cloned and overexpressed in E. coli.
1986 The first field tests of genetically engineered plants (tobacco) are conducted.
Ortho Biotech's Orthoclone OKT3, used to fight kidney transplant rejection, is approved as the first monoclonal
antibody treatment.
The first biotech-derived interferon drugs for the treatment of cancer, Biogen's Intron A and Genentech's Roferon A,
are approved by the FDA. In 1988, the drugs are used to treat Kaposi's sarcoma, a complication of AIDS.
The first genetically engineered human vaccine, Chiron's Recombivax HB, is approved for the prevention of hepatitis
B.
1987 Humatrope is developed for treating human growth hormone deficiency.
Advanced Genetic Sciences' Frostban, a genetically altered bacterium that inhibits frost formation on crop plants, is
field tested on strawberry and potato plants in California, the first authorized outdoor tests of an engineered
bacterium.
Genentech's tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), sold as Activase, is approved as a treatment for heart attacks.
Reverse transcription and PCR are combined to amplify mRNA sequences.
Cloned murine RT is engineered to maintain polymerase and eliminate Rnase H activity.
1988 Congress funds the Human Genome Project, a massive effort to map and sequence the human genetic code as
well as the genomes of other species.
1989 Amgen's Epogen is approved for the treatment of renal disease anemia.
Microorganisms are used to clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
The gene responsible for cystic fibrosis is discovered.
1990S
1990 The first federally approved gene therapy treatment is performed successfully on a 4-yearold girl suffering from
an immune disorder.
1991 Amgen develops Neupogen, the first of a new class of drugs called colony stimulating factors, for the treatment
of low white blood cells in chemotherapy patients.
Immunex's Leukine, used to replenish white blood counts after bone marrow transplants, is approved.
Genzyme's Ceredase is approved for the treatment of Gaucher's disease.
1992 The three-dimensional structure of HIV RT is elucidated.
Recombinate, developed by Genetics Institute and used in the treatment of hemophilia A, becomes the first
genetically engineered blood clotting factor approved in the U.S. Chiron's Proleukin is approved for the treatment of
renal cell cancer.
1993 Chiron's Betaseron is approved as the first treatment for multiple sclerosis in 20 years.
The FDA declares that genetically engineered foods are "not inherently dangerous" and do not require special
regulation.
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is created by merging two smaller trade associations.
1994 Genentech's Nutropin is approved for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency.
The first breast cancer gene is discovered.
Calgene's Flavr Savr tomato, engineered to resist rotting, is approved for sale.
1995 The first baboon-to-human bone marrow transplant is performed on an AIDS patient.
The first full gene sequence of a living organism other than a virus is completed for the bacterium Hemophilus
influenzae.
The three-dimensional structure of a catalytically active fragment of murine RT is elucidated.
1996 Biogen's Avonex is approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The company builds a $50 million plant in
Research Triangle Park, N.C., to manufacture the recombinant interferon drug.
Scottish scientists clone identical lambs from early embryonic sheep.
1997 Scottish scientists report cloning a sheep, using DNA from adult sheep cells.
A group of Oregon researchers claims to have cloned two Rhesus monkeys.
A new DNA technique combines PCR, DNA chips, and a computer program, providing a new tool in the search for
disease-causing genes.
1998 University of Hawaii scientists clone three generations of mice from nuclei of adult ovarian cumulus cells.
Human skin is produced in vitro.
Embryonic stem cells are used to regenerate tissue and create disorders mimicking diseases.
The first complete animal genome for the elegans worm is sequenced.
A rough draft of the human genome map is produced, showing the locations of more than 30,000 genes.
Cloned vain RT with fully active polymerase and minimized Rnase H activity is engineered.
The Biotechnology Institute is founded by BIO as an independent national, 501(c)(3) education organization with an
independent Board of Trustees.
1999 The complete genetic code of the human chromosome is first deciphered.
The rising tide of public opinion in Europe brings biotech food into the spotlight.
2000 AND BEYOND
2000 A rough draft of the human genome is completed by Celera Genomics and the Human Genome Project.
Pigs are the next animal cloned by researchers, hopefully to help produce organs for human transplant.
"Golden Rice," modified to make vitamin A, promises to help third-world countries alleviate blindness.
The 2.18 million base pairs of the commonest cause of bacterial meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis, are identified.
2001 The sequence of the human genome is published in Science and Nature, making it possible for researchers all
over the world to begin developing treatments.
2002 Scientists complete the draft sequence of the most important pathogen of rice, a fungus that destroys enough
rice to feed 60 million people annually. By combining an understanding of the genomes of the fungus and rice,
scientists will elucidate the molecular basis of the interactions between the plant and pathogen.
2003 Dolly, the cloned sheep that made headlines in 1997, is euthanized after developing progressive lung disease.
Dolly was the first successful clone of a mammal.
http://www.biotechinstitute.org/what_is/timeline.html
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before 8000 BC – Collecting of seeds for replanting. Evidence that Mesopotamian people
used selective breeding (artificial selection) practices to improve livestock.
around 7000 BC – Brewing beer, fermenting wine, baking bread with help of yeast.
8000 BC - 3000 BC – Yogurt and cheese made with lactic-acid-producing bacteria by
various cultures.
1590 – The microscope is invented by Zacharias Janssen.
1675 – Microorganisms discovered by Anton van Leeuwenhoek.
1856 – Gregor Mendel discovered the laws of inheritance.
1862 – Louis Pasteur discovered the bacterial origin of fermentation.
1919 – Karl Ereky, a Hungarian agricultural engineer, first used the word biotechnology.
1928 – Alexander Fleming noticed that a certain mould could stop the duplication of
bacteria, leading to the first antibiotic: penicillin.
1953 – James D. Watson and Francis Crick describe the structure of deoxyribonucleic
acid, called DNA for short.
1972 – The DNA composition of chimpanzees and gorillas is discovered to be 99%
similar to that of humans.
1975 – Method for producing monoclonal antibody developed by Kohler and Milstein.
1980 –
o Modern biotech is characterized by recombinant DNA technology. The
prokaryote model, E. coli, is used to produce synthetic insulin and other medicine,
in human form. (It is estimated that only 5% of diabetics were allergic to animal
insulins available before, while new evidence suggests that type 1 diabetes
mellitus is caused by an allergy to human insulin).
o A viable brewing yeast strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae 1026, acts as a modifier
of the microflora in the rumen of cows and digestive tract of horses).
o The United States Supreme Court, in 447 U.S. 303 (1980), rules in favor of
microbiologist Ananda Chakrabarty in the case of a USPTO request for a first
patent granted to a genetically modified living organism (GMO) in history.
1984 – Nutrigenomics as applied science in animal nutrition.
1994 – the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves of the first GM food: the "Flavr
Savr" tomato.
1997 – British scientists, led by Ian Wilmut, from the Roslin Institute report cloning a
sheep called Dolly the sheep using DNA from two adult sheep cells.
2000 – Completion of a, "rough draft," of the human genome in the Human Genome
Project.
2002 – Researchers sequence the DNA of rice, the main food source for two-thirds of the
world's population. Rice is the first crop to have its genome decoded.
2003 – GloFish, the first biotech pet, hits the North American market. Specially bred to
detect water pollutants, the fish glows red under black light thanks to the addition of a
natural bioluminescence gene.
2004 –
o November – Korean researchers treat spinal cord injury by transplanting
multipotent adult stem cells from an umbilical cord blood.
o December – A team of researchers at the University of Paris develops a method to
produce large number of red blood cells from hematopoietic stem cells, creating
an environment that mimics the conditions of bone marrow.
2005 –
o January – Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison differentiate
human Blastocyst stem cell into neural stem cells, and finally into spinal motor
neuron cells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_biotechnology
1700s
Naturalists begin to identify many kinds of hybrid plants — the offspring of breeding between two varieties
of plants.
1856
Gregor Mendel begins a meticulous study of specific characteristics he found in various plants which
were passed to future plant generations.
1861
Louis Pasteur defines the role of micro-organisms and establishes the science of microbiology.
1900
European botanists use Mendel's Law to improve plant species. This is the beginning of classic selection.
1950
First regeneration of entire plants from an in vitro culture.
1953
James Watson and Francis Crick discover the double helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly
known as DNA. Proteins are made up of strings of amino acids. The number, order and kind of amino
acids determine the property of that protein. DNA holds the information necessary to order the amino
acids correctly. The DNA transmits this hereditary information from one generation to the next. But it
wasn't until three decades later that even larger strides occurred in the field. Watson and Crick would later
receive the Nobel Prize for their work.
1970s
The Green Revolution introduces hybrid seeds into food-short Third World countries.
1973
Researchers develop the ability to isolate genes. Specific genes code for specific proteins.
1980s
Scientists discover how to transfer pieces of genetic information from one organism to another, allowing
the expression of desirable traits in the recipient organism. This is called genetic engineering, one
process used in biotechnology. Using the technique of "gene splicing" or "recombinant DNA technology"
(rDNA), scientists can add new genetic information to form a new protein which creates traits that protect
plants from diseases and pests.
1982
The first commercial application of this technology is used to develop human insulin for diabetes
treatment.
1983
The first transgenic plant: a tobacco plant resistant to an antibiotic.
1985
Genetically engineered plants resistant to insects, viruses, and bacteria are field tested for the first time.
1990
The first successful field trial of genetically engineered cotton plants (bt cotton) is conducted.
DEKALB receives the first patent for transformed corn.
1994
The Flavr-Savr tomato, designed to resist rotting, is approved by the FDA for sale in the United States.
1995-1996
Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybeans, which are resistant to herbicides, and YieldGard Corn, which is
protected from the corn borer, are approved for sale in the United States. Bollgard cotton first
commercialized in the US.
1996
Posilac bovine somatotropin, designed to increase milk efficiency in dairy cattle, is approved for use in the
United States.
1997
Roundup Ready cotton first commercialized in the US.
1998
DEKALB markets the first Roundup Ready corn.
YieldGard® Corn is approved for import into European Union.
1999
President Clinton awards four Monsanto scientists National Medal Of Technology.
2000
Scientists achieve major breakthrough in rice; data to be shared with worldwide research community.
http://www.biotechknowledge.com/biotech/bbasics.nsf/timeline.html?OpenPage