In 1953, Francis Crick and James Watson released their amazing discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA.
In 1969, a Harvard Medical School Team was the first to seperate a gene.
In 1953, Kary Mullis, a biochemist invented the polymerasein reaction or PCR which is a technique enabling scientists to reproduce bits of DNA faster than ever before.
In 1984, a British researcher developed genetic fingerprinting, a technique that has helped the police force greatly in finding criminals. They can of course find other people because of this medical discovery.
In 1990, the Human Genome Project was started.
In May of 1995, researchers at Duke University Medical Center transplanted hearts from genetically altered pigs into baboons. The three hearts survived only a few hours. This proves that cross-species operations are possible. (Putting one type of animal's genes or organs into another type of animal). Through this discovery, scientists realized the possibility of putting a human's gene into a goat for example.
On February 23, 1997, researchers at Roslin's Institute in Scotland claimed they had cloned a sheep, Dolly, from the cell o f an adult ewe. This operation was led by Ian Wilmut, an embryologist.
On February 24, 1997, President Clinton ask the National Bioethics Advisory Commission to observe the ethical meanings of cloning.
On March 2, 1997, Scientists in a research center in Beaverton, Oregon, cloned 2 monkeys
In May of 1998, an announcement was made for plans to decipher the entire human genome by 2001.
In November of 1998, two research teams had luck growing embryonic cells.
In May of 1998, researchers found signs of early aging in Dolly's cells. This had always been a worry because no one knew how a cloned species' body would react with the older cells.
2001 is the Human Genome Project's target date for a first draft of the human DNA sequence.