Celebrating DNA Day 2019.
In 1953, Dr. James Watson and Dr. Francis Crick marked a milestone in the history of scientific discoveries. Their article, Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids, first published in the scientific journal NATURE on April 25, 1953, described their discovery that the double helix structure of DNA was comprised of paired sequences of complementary bases, and thus, gave rise to modern molecular biology.
But this isn’t the only cause for celebration. In fact, there have been several milestones in the study of DNA through the years.
In 1869, Swiss scientist Dr. Friedrich Miescher determined that DNA, a nucleic acid found in the cell’s nucleus, was comprised of sugar, phosphoric acid, and several nitrogen containing bases. A description of his work can be found here.
In 1953, Dr. Roslalind Franklin succeeded in obtaining an x-ray diffraction pattern which showed DNA was helical, and provided crucial clues to the structure of DNA and quantitatively confirmed the Drs. Watson and Crick. A description of her discovery can be found here.
In 1962, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Dr. James Watson, Dr. Francis Crick, and Dr. Maurice Wilkins. Dr. Franklin was not awarded, as awards are not granted posthumously. More information about the 1962 award can be found here and here.
In 1987, Yoshizumi Ishino, a Japanese molecular biologist, discovered the DNA sequence of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR). The original article can be found here.
In 2003, the Human Genome Project, an international collaboration of scientists coordinated by the National Institute of Health and the US Department of Energy, determined the sequence of the human genome and identified the genes contained.
In 2012, Dr. Jennifer Doudna and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier showed how the bacterial defense system CRISPR could be used as a gene editing tool by deciphering the molecular mechanisms of CRISPR/Cas9. The original article can be found here.
Overall, advances in the study of DNA and related technology have brought about fascinating questions as to what role it will play in the future of medicine. These past discoveries have provided today’s scientists with limitless possibility in emerging therapies to cure heritable diseases, as well as find new and more effective ways to treat infectious disease. The opportunities truly are limitless.