ABE 495 Honors Synthetic Life: Historical Timeline

Timeline of Biological Tinkering

1663 - Hooke discovers existence of cells Biotechnology Industry Organization
1865 - Mendel publishes his findings about basic patterns of inheritance Experiments in Plant Hybridization
1877 - Characterization of Antibiotic Activity, Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch Chicago Journals
1953 - structure of DNA was published Nature Publishing Group article
1869 - Miescher. discovers DNA/nucleic acids (need ref)
1907 - First in vivo? culture of animal cells? (figure out and add reference)
1946 - J. Craig Venter is born Career Bios
1960 - The word Transhumanist is coined to refer to people that believe human's should use scientific advancements to create human augmentations. (need ref)
1970 - Isolation of First Restriction Enzyme, HindII - Nobel Prize to Daniel Nathans, Werner Arber, Hamilton O. PNAS Reference
1973 - First genetically engineered bacteria PNAS Reference
1974 - First genetically engineered mice PNAS Reference
1974 - Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee is established due to Public Concerns. National Institue of Health Reference
1975 - Asilomar Conference held to discuss government policy toward Recombinant DNA research.(need ref)
1976 - Founding of Genentech Biotechnology Company Nature ref
1977 - First complete DNA genome sequenced Nature
1978 - First successful birth by means of in vitro fertilization (Great Britain) New York Times Article
1984 - FDA approves first cochlear implant for marketing ENT history timeline
1983 - Invention of Polymerase Chain Reaction by Kary Mullis, Michael Smith - Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1993 Springer Protocol
1986 - First Recombinant DNA Vaccine Available (Hepatitis B) The Journal of the American Medical Association
1987 - First conviction based DNA evidence Convicted by Juries, Exonerated by Science (Page 4)
1987 - First approval for field test of modified food plants: virus-resistant tomatoes Biotechnology Industry Organization
1990 - Human Genome Project Begins National Human Genome Research Institute
1990 - First approved gene therapy case in the United States at the National Institute of Heath; a young girl was treated for an genetic defeat which caused an immune system deficiency. The treatment was a temporary success. (need ref)
1995 - First bacterial genome sequenced Science
1996 - Dolly, the first mammal cloned from differentiated cells, is born BBC News Article
1997 - Gattaca the movie was released Gattaca IMDb
2002 - First brain/computer interface tested. Monkeys able to move ball around on screen through implanted electrodes. Science Daily Article
2002 - Reconstitution of polio virus (need reference)
2002 - Bt corn, the first genetically engineered rootworm resistant corn, is approved by the EPA. Purdue Ag News
2003 - GloFish®, the first biotech pet, hits the North American market. Specially bred to detect water pollutants, the fish glows red under black light thanks to the addition of a natural fluorescence gene.Biotechnology Industry Organization
2003 - Inauguration of International Genetically Engineered Machine competition in Synthetic Biology at MIT iGEM Website
2003 - Human genome declared finished (need reference)
2005 - University of Maryland announces the development of a technique for "incubating meat" as a way of mass-producing food for public consumption In Vitro Meat
2005 - FDA for the first time approves a drug for a specific race. The drug, NitroMed's BiDil®, treats congestive heart failure in self-identified black patients. The company hopes a genetic test can be developed to identify patients likely to benefit, regardless of race.Race Based Medicine
2008 - The first In Vitro Meat Consortium Symposium meets in Norway to discuss the long-term sustainability of artificial meat TIME Article
2009 - Virus used to kill breast cancer stem cells, virtually eliminating the chance of tumor regrowth Science Daily Article
2009 - FDA approves the first genetically engineered animal for production of a recombinant form of human antithrombin. Biotechnology Industry Organization
2009 - Atryn, a thrombotic preventing drug, is the first product derived from a genetically modified animal approved by the FDA. Farmer Gene
2010 - Venter Institute creates and publishes synthetic genome Science Mag Reference

Things we need to add: - US Bioethics Report Issued on Synthetic Biology - discovery of mendelian genetics - DNA/ nucleic acids discovered - DNA structure and information coding watson/crick etc. - key genomes discovered? - similarity between human and other primates demonstrated? - Pasteur discover antibiotics - Hela cells -