Genetic Engineering Timeline

Charles Darwin Published "The Origin of Species"

Mar 31, 1859

Gregor Mendel published his discoveries regarding his pea plant experiments (crowning him as the "Father of Modern Genetics")

Mar 31, 1865

T.H. Morgan demonstrates that chromosomes carry genes

Mar 31, 1910

Barbara McClintock and Harriet Creighton demonstrate direct physical recombination (the linking of DNA from different chromosomes)

Mar 31, 1931

James Watson and Francis Crick proposed the double helix structure of DNA

Mar 31, 1953

Stewart Linn and Werner Arber discovered restriction enzymes in E. coli

Mar 31, 1968

Stanley Cohen, Annie Chang and Herbert Boyer create the first genetically modified DNA organism

Mar 31, 1973

The national institues of health in the united states produce guidelines for genetic modification research

Mar 31, 1976

First transgenic (genetically modified) mouse

Mar 31, 1980

Kary Mullis, a biochemist invented the 'polymerase chain reaction' which is a technique enabling scientiist to reproduce bits of DNa faster than ever before.

Mar 31, 1983

Development of DNA fingerprinting

Mar 31, 1984

First transgenic domestic animal, a pig

Mar 31, 1985

First gene therapy trials on humans

Mar 31, 1991

Scientist create GM plants

Mar 31, 1994

GM crops (virus-resistant tobacco and a tomato) placed on sale.

Mar 31, 1995

Roundup Ready Soybeans (soy beans resistant to glyphosate herbicide (Roundup)) introduced in the USA

Mar 31, 1995

The cloning of a transgenic lamb (Polly)

Mar 31, 1997

UK bans GMOs

Mar 31, 1998

Human genome sequenced

Mar 31, 2003

Britain set to aprove technique to create babies from three different people

Feb 3, 2015

IGT- Immunoprophylaxis by gene transfer

Mar 10, 2015

Isolate genes from certain antibodies against certain diseases and then synthesis artificial versions.The virouses are placed into human tissue and then the synthetic gene is incorporated into the recipients DNA

researchers use metabolic engineering in directed evolution to develope a new mutant yeast strain that could lead to more efficient bio fuel production

Mar 24, 2015

Designer babies

Apr 2, 2030

Engineer a baby for gender, eye color or height of our choice

The first GM creature

Apr 2, 2030

We could splice their genes to make them grow faster and larger.

Develope a new species that could be sent up into space colonies where they will develope under different conditions

Apr 2, 2030