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Medical Genetics in 2020?
What will we be able to do?
What should we be able to do?
www.genomicseducation.ca
Scientists discover gene for asthma risk
Tue 05 Jul 2005
Genes allow some older women to conceive
Wed 22 Jun 2005
Gene variations predict kidney disease
Wed 15 Jun 2005
A brief timeline…
1865
Gregor Mendel’s experiments on peas demonstrate the basic laws of
inheritance.
1902
Archibald Garrod, observes that the disease alkaptonuria has a genetic
cause and is inherited as a recessive condition.
1911
Thomas Hunt Morgan experiments on fruit flies to show that chromosomes
carry genes.
1951
Rosalind Franklin obtains sharp x-ray diffraction photographs of DNA.
1953
Francis Crick and James Watson describe the double helix structure of
DNA.
…A brief timeline…
1959
Down Syndrome is found to be caused by three copies of chromosome 21 NOT two.
1975
DNA Sequencing method is invented.
1978
Louise Brown, the first ‘test-tube baby’ is born.
1983
Huntington’s disease… the first MUTATION SHOWN to cause disease is mapped to
chromosome 4.
1990
Human Genome Project is launched. The sequencing all 3.2 billion letters of the human
genome is undertaken.
1999
Chromosome 22 is sequenced
2003 Completion of the Human Genome sequencing.
What can we do in 2005?
Population Screening
Pharmacogenetics
Newborn Screening
Prenatal Diagnosis
Medical Genetics in 2020?
What will we be able to do?
What should we be able to do?
www.genomicseducation.ca