Research and Applications

The study of nucleic acids and other living matter at the molecular level is known as molecular biology. Research in this field has proceeded at a rapid pace since the 1950's. In 1957, the American biochemist Arthur Kornberg synthesized (produced) inactive DNA in the laboratory. In 1967 Kornberg and his associates synthesized biologically active DNA, which was able to infect living cells.

By the mid-1970's, scientists had synthesized many types of DNA and were performing a variety of experiments in molecular biology. Some of these experiments led to the development of genetic engineering, a process in which some DNA is taken from one organism and combined with DNA in another organism. Through genetic engineering, the hereditary traits of an organism can be altered. Among the many uses of genetic engineering are the creation of bacteria that synthesize certain drugs and the creation of disease-resistant crops. An international project called the Human Genome Project was begun in 1990 to determine the sequence of the 3 billion nucleotides that make up the DNA in a human being; it was largely completed in 2004.

The use of genetic fingerprinting, a technique based on the individual variations of human DNA, aids in the positive identification of persons from their hair, skin, body fluids, or other body tissues.