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Period: Jan 1, 1000 to
Ancient Biotech
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Robert Hooke describes living cell
This is the first known description of a living cell, crucial to the advancement of biotech and cell bio -
Discovery of Bacteria and Protozoa
Both were discovered and described by a dutch scientist. Needless to say, this became the basis for many future biotech advances -
First Successful Vacination, Edward Jenner
This was the first ever successful inoculation recorded. It was done by injecting a child with a small ammount of smallpox after observing that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox did not later get smallpox. This was the beginning of classical biotech. -
Period: to
Classical Biotech
From the end of ancient biotech to the mid 20th century -
Discovered that tissues are made of lving cells
Henri Dutrochet was the one to discover this, combined several previos discoveries to give new insight into biological structures. -
First Enzymes Isolated
Obviously this is importnt to us because to splice in genes restriction enzymes are needed. We also need them for making products like cheese. -
E. Coli Discovered
Escherichia Coli is discovered, goes on to be used as an important research tool for biotechnologists. -
Dscovery of the Bacterial Origin of Fermentation
The scientists reponsible was Louis Pasture. He was also responsible for the advent of pasturization. -
Gregor Mendel's Research on Inheritance
Gregor Mendel used experiments with pea plants to gain insight in to how genes are passed throught the generations and how they work once passed on. -
DNA identified in Trout Sperm
Friedrich Miescher examined the sample and was able too identify that dna was present from the male (eventually the whole gamete thing would be figured out, this was just the start) -
Bacteria Staining Technique Developed
Developed by Kosh, this technique allowed the staining and identification of bacteria which is crucial to experimenting with those organisms. -
Chromatin discovered.
Dicovered by Walther Flemming, this new information would lead to the dicovery of chromosomes. Chromosomes are crucial too the field of genetics and thereofre a lot of biotech. -
Droposhillia Melanogaster Used
D. Melanogaster (fruit flies) were first used in genetic studies due to relatively easy to analyze geneticss and short generation gaps/large numbers of offspring . -
Term "Genetics" is coined
Pretty self explanatory, but having a way to identify the field of study was important. -
Cancer causing virus discored
Rous discoveres the first cancer causing virus, gives more insight into how both viruses and cancer function. -
Phages are dicovered
Phages, aka Bacterial Virusea re discored. This is an entirely new class of virus that leads to more research possibilities. -
HGH discovered
Human Growth Hormone was discovered by evens and long. This eventually helped led to the wide range of cures and steroids based on the compound that we have today. -
Penicillin
Discoverd by Flemming, penicillin was the first antibiotic and one of the longest lived. This was a massive advance in medical biotech. -
"Genetic Engineering" Coined
A. Jost, a Danish microbiollogists, coins the term which continues to be used to this day although the significance has evolved over that period of time. -
DNA Described
Watson and Crick describe the strucute of DNA, double helix etc. -
DNA of Apes Analyzed
Gorillas and Chimps, found to be 99% to that of humans -
First successful recombinant DNA
Stanley Colber and Herbert Boyer used bacterial genes in the first successful experiment with recombinant DNA -
Cloning Patent
Cohen and Boyer are given the US patent for gene cloning. Now of course all labs are cloning genes and there are many legal battles over the pattenting of inividual manipulated genes. -
PCR
Polymarase Chain reaction allows for the replication of small DNA segments milllions of times in a lab setting allowing one sample to make enought DNA for many experiments. PCR is one of the most important, if not the most important, advances in biotechnical techniques in all of its history. In modern Times PCR has been advanced to the point where it can be done simply by pippeting a few enzymes and placing the test tube into a PCR machine. The machine runs the sample through different heats. -
First Federally Approved Gene Therapy
A girl who suffered from immune dissorder was the first ever allowed to have gene therapy. -
US allows Flavr Savr Tomato
First GM food to be allowed by the US FDA. Now we have many more legal GM foods, many produced by the very controversial company Monsanto. -
Cloned Sheep
Dolly was the first cloned sheep. -
Draft of the Human genome sequence
First draft of the human genome published by Celera Genomics and the Human Genome Project. More work has been done since, this project is absolutely massive and after this publicaiton scince and nature magazine the ammount of detail and catalogued samples. The fina goal of the project was to use greater understanding of the human genome to know exactly where to find all genes on the 46 Chromosomes. -
Human Genome project Compleated
As a follow up to the previous event, the project was completed with all 46 chromosomes having been sequenced. -
Viral Pacemaker
Invented and placed into guinea pigs, possibilities for human applicaitons in the future. -
Legal battles over gene patenting
Many Biotech companies are attempting to patent genes that they have isolated or altered. There is a concern that it would restrict further scientific advances.