For the past few years i've shown a growing interest in the future of genetic engineering  in general and more specifically genetic modification involving humans or human DNA. Initially it began as a sort of morbid curiosity at what those "scientists" were cooking up and also to fuel my imagination for forthcoming works of fiction whose chief topic would be a future mankind rewritten by genetic tinkerers. Naturally if you want to understand the future of something you take a good look at its past such as it is and in doing so I compiled a timeline of significant advancements in the history of genetic manipulation. Initially I was going to make this a single post but as the depth of the information increased I decided to break it in two to make it more digestible. This article is the first of a two part timeline it will focus on advancements preceding the manipulation of DNA as it is necessary to provide a bit of recognition for those who did not directly manipulate genetic structures but  whose research in the fields of genetics and biochemistry paved the way for many of the discoveries and advancements to come.

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Some of my earlier artwork.
Introducing GMO Gang!

A Few Words

I tried to constrict this list to pioneered research and significant results and in no way represents the totality of persons, research and discoveries that have shaped the foundation of genetics, biotechnology, biochemistry and molecular biology. I will of course provide a number of links for those interested listed in traditional format at the foot of the text.

Timeline

1. Charles Darwin proposed  The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection (published  1859)

2. Gregor Mendel discovered the discretion of  gene transmission in peas.(1865)

3. Frederick Miescher isolated a new molecule he calls a "nuclein" from the nucleus of white blood cells. This molecule later becomes known as DNA.(1869)

4. Walter Flemming stained chromosomes to observe them. Clearly observes and reports mitosis process. (1882)

5. Wilhelm Johannsen coined the words "gene" as well as "genotype" and "phenotype" in description of hereditary units based on the work of Gregor Mendel.(1909)

6. Thomas Hunt Morgan studied fruit fly chromosomes showing that they carry genes and discovered genetic links in fly offspring(1911)

7. William Astbury obtained the first X- ray diffraction pattern of DNA. This showed that DNA probably had a regular periodic structure.(1943)

8. Barbara McClintock used corn to discover the mobility of genes within chromosomes.(1944)

9. Erwin Chargaff  demonstrated a correlation of levels of adenine and thymine and guanine and cytosine and that the purines(adenine + guanine) and pyrimidines(thymine + cytosine) always appear in equal ratios.(1950)

10. Rosalind Franklin perfected techniques of x-ray diffraction and studied DNA to uncover its structure.(1950)

11. Joshua Lederberg and others advance the study of genetic recombination in bacteria, including development of replica plating and the discovery of transduction(1951)

12. Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase discover that only the DNA of a virus is necessary to enter a bacterium to infect it, supporting the theory that genes are composed of DNA.(1952)

13. Francis H. Crick and James D. Watson  used Franklin's test results ( without her knowledge or consent) in combination with firsthand information regarding Chargraff's results on nucleotides to create a model of the double helix DNA structure.(1953)

14. Dr. Hall Hoppe a researcher for the Dept. of Agriculture discovers a coorelation between a fungus and crop frost damage.(1961)

15. Stephen Lindow advanced Hoppe's study of fungal infections in corn and discovers a mutant strain of the bacteria P. syringae (a bacteria that assists in frost formation on plants) which lacked the frost-forming protein.(1970-77)

Stay tuned for Part 2: Reverse Engineering.  I appreciate all  intelligent discussion, if you find this interesting upvote and resteem!

1. Darwin 2.Mendel 3.Miescher 4.Flemming 5. Johannsen 6.Morgan 7.Astbury 8.Mclintock 9.Chargaff 10. Franklin 11.Lederburg 12.Hershey/Chase 13.Crick/Watson 14.Hoppe 15.Lindow