The USDA’s Germplasm Resources Information Network went on-line
In 1985, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), the remnant of the effort…
Biotechnology | Infectious Disease | Polio | Vaccine | WHO
Rotary International established its PolioPlus program
In 1985, Rotary International established its PolioPlus program, which held two fundraising events. Rotary has contributed over $500…
Federal courts ruled private companies don’t need NIH permission to field test genetically engineered organisms
In 1985, Federal courts ruled that private companies don’t need National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) permission for field…
Mikhail Gorbachev, an agricultural specialist, became Soviet leader after the death of Konstantin Chernenko
In 1985, an agricultural specialist with no experience in foreign affairs, Mikhail Gorbachev, becomes Soviet leader after the…
Biotechnology | CDC | Diagnostics | HIV | NIH | Therapeutics
The CDC revised the case definition of AIDS to include additional specific disease conditions
In 1985, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised the case definition of AIDS to…
Virologist Flossie Wong-Staal became the first person to clone HIV, which led to the development of HIV detection blood tests
In 1985, virologist Flossie Wong-Staal became the first person to clone HIV, which led to the development of…
Scientists discovered the HER2 gene
In 1985, the HER2 oncogene was discovered by Axel Ullrich, a young scientist at Genentech. The new oncogene…
Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases (CDIPD) was founded
In 1985, the CDIPD was founded as an NIH-NIAID-supported Tropical Disease Research Unit (TDRU) at University of California,…
California launched its own Genetic Resources Conservation Program
In 1985, California becomes the first state to launch its own Genetic Resources Conservation Program. Designed to preserve…
Telomerase discovered by graduate students
In 1985, telomerase was discovered by University of California, Berkeley graduate student Carol Greider while a student under…
The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Metropolitan Detroit was named in honor of Meyer L Prentis, a Detroit philanthropist
In 1985, the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Metropolitan Detroit was named in honor of Meyer L. Prentis, a…
Dr. Anthony Pawson discovered the SH2 protein domain involved in controlling cell behavior, leading to targeted cancer drugs
In 1985, Dr. Anthony Pawson discovered the SH2 protein domain involved in controlling cell behavior, leading to targeted…
Michael Stuart Brown was awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine
In 1985, Michael Stuart Brown from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas was awarded the…
The human p53 gene was cloned
On Dec. 20, 1984, a team of scientists announced that a cDNA clone for human p53 cellular tumor…
Allan Wilson and Russell Higuchi become the first to clone genes from an extinct species
On Nov. 15, 1984 Allan Wilson and Russell Higuchi of the University of CA at Berkeley become the…
The Hatch-Waxman Act was passed to encourage development of generic prescription drugs
On Sept. 24, 1984 the Hatch-Waxman Act (Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act) was passed to…
Alec Jefferies and technician Vicky Wilson discovered minisatellites leading to the development of genetic fingerprinting
On Sept. 10, 1984, geneticist Alec Jeffreys, and technician Vicky Wilson at the University of Leicester in England…
The costs of hepatitis B vaccine and its administration became a covered benefit under Medicare Part B
On Sept. 1, 1984, with the enactment of P.L. 98-369 by the U.S. Congress, coverage under Part B…
U.S. Surgeon General reported that there was “very solid” evidence linking cigarette smoke to lung disease in non-smokers
On May 23, 1984, U.S. Surgeon General reported that there was “very solid” evidence linking cigarette smoke to…
Federal District Court Judge John Sirica temporarily halted federally funded experiments involving release of recombinant DNA organisms
On May 17, 1984, Federal District Court Judge John J. Sirica temporarily halts all federally funded experiments involving…
New Lineberger cancer research center building opened
On May 2, 1984, the new UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Centerﾒs original three-story cancer research building opened. In…
Dr Robert C Gallo reported the isolation of a new group of viruses found in the helper T-cells of patients with AIDS or pre-AIDS symptoms
On Apr. 23, 1984, a National Cancer Institute (NCI) scientist, Dr. Robert C. Gallo, reported the isolation of…
The Priestley Medal was awarded to Linus Pauling
In 1984, the American Chemical Society (ACS) awarded the Priestley Medal to Linus Pauling ‘for his numerous contributions…
Stanford Medicine researchers Isolated a gene coding for part of the T-cell receptor
On Mar. 8, 1984, two articles describing the cloning of the T-Cell Receptor (TCR) by Tak Wah Mak…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | NIH | Oncology | Therapeutics
HHS Secretary Margaret M Heckler launched a new cancer prevention awareness program
On Mar. 6, 1984, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Margaret M. Heckler launched a new cancer prevention…
Doctors at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania performed the world’s first heart-liver transplant
On Feb. 14, 1984, the world’s first successful combined heart-liver transplant was performed in Pittsburgh at UPMC Children’s…
Discovery that treatment with human recombinant interferon gamma blocks the growth of T. gondii published
On Feb. 8, 1984, Elmer R. Pfefferkorn published his discovery that treatment of human fibroblasts with human recombinant…
University of Iowa research team determined precise areas of brain damage responsible for memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease
On Jan. 1, 1984, a University of Iowa College of Medicine research team headed by Dr. Antonio Damasio…
American Cancer Society introduced dietary guidelines to reduce cancer
In 1984, American Cancer Society (ACS) introduced dietary guidelines to reduce cancer. The ACS published Nutrition and Physical…
The Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Program was established
In 1984, The Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Program, DEA, was established to widen the focus of the minority effort…