Biotechnology History Timeline

1796 - 8000 19 events
medical biotechnology

Edward Jenner's Smallpox Vaccine

1796
First successful vaccination using cowpox to prevent smallpox
medical biotechnology

Louis Pasteur's Germ Theory

1857
Demonstrated microorganisms cause fermentation and disease
agricultural biotechnology

Gregor Mendel's Laws of Inheritance

1865
Established foundational principles of heredity
biotechnology

Term

1919
Károly Ereky introduces the term biotechnology for industrial biology applications
medical biotechnology

Discovery of Insulin

1921
Identification of insulin as a treatment for diabetes
revolutionizing medicine

Penicillin Discovery by Alexander Fleming

1928
Discovery of the first antibiotic
genetic engineering

First Recombinant DNA Experiment

1973
Successful splicing of DNA from different organisms
genetic engineering

Human Insulin Production via rDNA

1982
First genetically engineered drug approved for human use
revolutionizing genetics

Polymerase Chain Reaction Developed

1983
Technique to amplify DNA segments
cloning

Dolly the Sheep Cloned

1996
First mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell
genomics

Human Genome Project Completed

2003
Mapping of the entire human genome sequence
genetic engineering

CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Developed

2012
Introduction of precise gene-editing technology
genetic engineering

First CRISPR-Cas9 Human Trial

2016
Clinical application of CRISPR-Cas9 in humans
medical biotechnology

Approval of CRISPR-Based Treatment

2020
First regulatory approval of a CRISPR-based therapy for sickle cell disease
biotechnology

Use of Lactic Acid Bacteria

3000
Production of yogurt and cheese through fermentation
biotechnology

Domestication of Animals

4000
Selective breeding of animals for desired traits
biotechnology

Fermentation of Wine

6000
Discovery of fermentation processes in winemaking
biotechnology

Brewing Beer with Yeast

7000
Early use of yeast in brewing by ancient cultures
biotechnology

Development of Agriculture

8000
Cultivation of crops and selective breeding of plants
1796 1857 1865 1919 1921 1928 1973 1982 1983 1996 2003 2012 2016 2020 3000 4000 6000 7000 8000

Biotechnology History Timeline

Title Date Era Description Category
Brewing Beer with Yeast ~7000 BCE Ancient Civilizations Early use of yeast in brewing by ancient cultures. Biotechnology
Fermentation of Wine ~6000 BCE Ancient Civilizations Discovery of fermentation processes in winemaking. Biotechnology
Domestication of Animals ~4000 BCE Ancient Civilizations Selective breeding of animals for desired traits. Biotechnology
Development of Agriculture ~8000 BCE Ancient Civilizations Cultivation of crops and selective breeding of plants. Biotechnology
Use of Lactic Acid Bacteria ~3000 BCE Ancient Civilizations Production of yogurt and cheese through fermentation. Biotechnology
Edward Jenner’s Smallpox Vaccine 1796 Enlightenment First successful vaccination using cowpox to prevent smallpox. Medical Biotechnology
Louis Pasteur’s Germ Theory 1857 Industrial Revolution Demonstrated that microorganisms cause fermentation and disease. Medical Biotechnology
Gregor Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance 1865 Industrial Revolution Established foundational principles of heredity. Agricultural Biotechnology
Discovery of Insulin 1921 Early 20th Century Identification of insulin as a treatment for diabetes. Medical Biotechnology
Penicillin Discovery by Alexander Fleming 1928 Early 20th Century Discovery of the first antibiotic, revolutionizing medicine. Medical Biotechnology
Term “Biotechnology” Coined by Károly Ereky 1919 Early 20th Century Introduction of the term to describe industrial biology applications. Biotechnology
First Recombinant DNA Experiment 1973 Modern Biotechnology Successful splicing of DNA from different organisms. Genetic Engineering
Human Insulin Production via rDNA 1982 Modern Biotechnology First genetically engineered drug approved for human use. Genetic Engineering
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Developed 1983 Modern Biotechnology Technique to amplify DNA segments, revolutionizing genetics. Genetic Engineering
Dolly the Sheep Cloned 1996 Modern Biotechnology First mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. Cloning
Human Genome Project Completed 2003 Modern Biotechnology Mapping of the entire human genome sequence. Genomics
CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Developed 2012 Modern Biotechnology Introduction of precise gene-editing technology. Genetic Engineering
First CRISPR-Cas9 Human Trial 2016 Modern Biotechnology Clinical application of CRISPR-Cas9 in humans. Genetic Engineering
Approval of CRISPR-Based Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease 2020 Modern Biotechnology First regulatory approval of a CRISPR-based therapy. Medical Biotechnology

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