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4000 BCE
Egyptians
Egyptians baked leavened bread using yeast.They used honey to treat respiratory infections and as an ointment for wounds. -
500 BCE
China
In China, moldy soybean curds were used to cure boils -
250 BCE
Greeks
The Greeks practiced crop rotation for maximum soil fertility. -
100 BCE
Romans
Rome had over 250 bakeries which made leavened bread using yeast -
Rennaisance(Invention of the Microscope)
The microscope was a major help in other scientific discoveries. -
17th Century
Bacteria is first seen and described by Anton Van Leeuwenhoek -
18th Century
Edward Jenner uses the first viral vaccine to inoculate a child from smallpox -
The Term Biotechnology
Karoly Ereky coined the term biotechnology to describe the merging of biology and technology. -
First Antibiotic
Alexander Fleming first observed the antibiotic properties of the mold that produces penicillin. -
First Biotech Drug
Humulin, Genentech's human insulin drug produced by genetically engineered bacteria for the treatment of diabetes is approved by the FDA. -
First Federally Approved Gene Therapy Treatment
performed successfully on a 4-year-old girl suffering from an immune disorder called adenosine deaminase deficiency. -
First Genetically Modified Food
The United States Food and Drug Administration approves the first GM food: the "Flavr Savr" tomato.