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Period: to
Genetic History
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Mendel's paper is published
His discoveries included- units of inheritance in pairs; dominance and recessiveness; equal segregation and independent assortment. These ideas were not recognized for 34 years. -
DNA is identified by Friedrich Miescher
Friedrich Miescher discovered DNA as an acidic substance found in cell nuclei. The significance of DNA is not appreciated for over 70 years. -
Mendel's experiments are "rediscovered"
His experiments from 1866 were confirmed by three separate researchers. -
The chromosome theory of heredity is proposed by Sutton.
Boveri recognizes that individual chromosomes are different from one another, but he doesn't make a connection to Mendelian principles. Nevertheless, Boveri is given co-credit by friend E.B. Wilson (Sutton's supervisor) for proposing the chromosome theory of inheritance. -
A human disease is first attributed to genetic causes
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First experiments on quantitative traits in broad beans and wheat
Bean experiments by Wilhelm Johanssen and in wheat by Herman Nilsson-Ehle. -
Some genes are linked and do not show independent assortment
As seen by Bateson and Punnett. -
The word "genetics" is coined by William Bateson.
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The chromosome theory of heredity is confirmed
Confirmed in studies of fly eye color inheritance by T.H. Morgan and colleagues. -
The eugenics movement is popular, fueling racist sentiment and leading to involuntary sterilization laws.
The eugenics movement is popular, fueling racist sentiment and leading to involuntary sterilization laws. -
First ever linkage map created by Alfred Sturtevant
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H. Muller shows that X-rays induce mutations in a dose-dependent fashion.
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Some component of heat-killed virulent bacteria can "transform" a non-virulent strain to become virulent, as shown by Fred Griffith
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Genetic recombination is caused by a physical exchange of chromosomal pieces
As shown in corn by Harriet Creighton and Barbara McClintock. -
One gene encodes one protein
As described by Beadle and Tatum. -
Genetic material can be transferred laterally between bacterial cells
As shown by Lederberg and Tatum. -
The genetic code is cracked by a number of researchers
(including Nirenberg, Matthaei, Leder, and Khorana) -
The first restriction enzyme is purified by Hamilton Smith.
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Recombinant DNA is first constructed by Cohen and Boyer.
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DNA sequencing technology is developed by Fred Sanger.
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PCR is developed by Kary Mullis.
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DNA fingerprinting, gene therapy, and genetically modified foods come onto the scene.
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DNA microarrays are invented
by Pat Brown and colleagues. -
Automated sequencing technology allows genome projects to accelerate.
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The first cloning of a mammal (Dolly the sheep)
performed by Ian Wilmut and colleagues, from the Roslin institute in Scotland. -
The Drosophila genome is completed.
The Arabidopsis genome is completed. The human genome is reported to be completed. -
The sequence of the human genome is released, and the "post-genomic era" officially begins.
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Controversies continue over human and animal cloning, research on stem cells, and genetic modification of crops.
