Breakthroughs in DNA Technology

Dolly the sheep cloned via nuclear transfer by Ian Wilmut’s team proved adult cells could reprogram sparking ethics debates.

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) reads millions of DNA fragments at once cutting costs and time versus Sanger.

DNA fingerprinting by Alec Jeffreys uses variable DNA regions for forensic IDs and paternity tests.

CRISPR-Cas9 adapted from bacteria edits genes cheaply and accurately transforming medicine and agriculture.

Restriction enzymes discovered in the 1970s act like molecular scissors enabling precise gene splicing.

The Human Genome Project sequenced 3 billion base pairs unlocking genetic disease insights over 13 years.

Recombinant DNA by Boyer and Cohen merges genes into plasmids enabling insulin production and GMOs.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) by Kary Mullis copies DNA millions of times revolutionizing forensics and research.

Sanger sequencing by Frederick Sanger uses chain termination to read DNA foundational for genomics.

James Watson with Francis Crick revealed DNA’s spiral shape aided by Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray images earning a Nobel Prize.