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6000 BCE
Yogurt and Cheese
In 6000 BCE, Neolithic peoples of Central Asia discovered yogurt and cheese made with lactic acid-producing bacteria by various culture. -
Bacteria and Protozoa
In 1675, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek discovers and describes bacteria and protozoa. -
Smallpox Vaccine
In 1798, Edward Jenner uses first viral vaccine to inoculate a child from smallpox. -
Fermentation
In 1862, Louis Pasteur discovers the bacterial origin of fermentation. -
USDA is Founded
In 1862, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is founded by Abraham Lincoln -
Law of Inheritence
In 1863, Gregor Mendel discovers the law of inheritance. -
Staining Bacteria for Identification
In 1877, Robert Koch develops a technique for staining bacteria for identification. -
Vaccines Against Bacteria in Chickens
In 1881, Louis Pasteur develops vaccines against bacteria that cause cholera and anthrax in chickens. -
Rabies Vaccine
In 1885, Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux developed the first rabies vaccine. -
FDA is Founded
In 1906, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is founded by Theodore Roosevelt and Harvey Washington Wiley. -
U.S. Hybrid Maize
In 1908, the first U.S. hybrid maize produced by G.H. Shull of Carnegie Institute through self-pollination. -
Cancer-Causing Virus Discovered
In 1911, Peyton Rous discovers the first cancer-causing virus. -
The Word "Biotechnology"
In 1919, Karl Ereky, a Hungarian agricultural engineer, first uses the word biotechnology. -
Penicillin
In 1928, Alexander Fleming notices that a certain mould could stop the duplication of bacteria, leading to the first antibiotic penicillin. -
Structure of DNA
In 1953, James D. Watson and Francis Crick describe the structure of DNA. -
Genetic Code is Discovered
In 1961, Marshall Warren Nirenberg and Heinrich Matthaei discover genetic code. -
Recombinant DNA Experiment
In 1973, Stanley Norman Cohen and Herbert Boyer perform the first successful recombinant DNA experiment, using bacterial genes. -
U.S. Patent for Gene Cloning is Awarded
In 1980, the U.S. patent for gene cloning is awarded to Cohen and Boyer. -
Polymerase Chain Reaction
In 1983, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique is conceived by Kary B. Mullis. -
Tobacco Plants Are the First Crop Produced Through Biotechnology and Approved by the EPA
In 1986, The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) approves the release of the first crop produced through biotechnology - tobacco plants. -
Gene Therapy Treatment
In 1990, the first federally approved gene therapy treatment is performed on a young girl who suffered from an immune disorder. -
Flavr Savr Tomato
In 1994, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the first GM food: the “Flavr Savr” tomato. -
Dolly the Sheep
In 1997, British scientists, led by Ian Wilmut from the Roslin Institute, report cloning Dolly the sheep using DNA from two adult sheep cells. -
Rough Draft of the Human Genome
In 2000, completion of a “rough draft” of the human genome in the [Human Genome Project]. -
Human Genome Project is Completed
In 2003, the Human Genome Project is completed, providing information about the locations and sequence of the human genes on all 46 chromosomes. -
Gardasil, the First Preventative Cancer Vaccine
In 2006, the FDA approves the recombinant vaccine Gardasil. Gardasil becomes the first vaccine to be developed against human papillomavirus (HPV), an infection implicated in cervical and throat cancers. Gardasil also becomes the first preventative cancer vaccine. -
The NIFA is Established
In 2008, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is established by Rajiv Shah. -
Medicago in Durham, North Carolina
In 2010, the Canadian company, Medicago, used Durham, NC as its first American facility. They are a company that genetically manipulate tobacco plants to produce proteins used in making flu vaccines. -
Synthetic Cell
In 2010, researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute create the first synthetic cell. -
Draft Rules for Bio-Similar Drugs
In 2012, the FDA issued draft rules for bio-similar drugs.
