U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Diamond v Chakrabarty
On Jun. 16, 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld five-to-four the patentability of genetically altered organisms, opening the…
The Diamond v Chakrabarty case argued before U.S. Supreme Court
On Mar. 17, 1980, Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty filed a patent application assigned to the General Electric Co. for…
First endowed chair at UW School of Medicine created in memory of Dr. Robert H Williams, founding chair of Department of Medicine
On Mar. 4, 1980, the first endowed chair at University of Washington School of Medicine created in memory…
The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research founded
In 1980, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR), was founded in 1980 by the Provinicial Legislature…
NCI scientists isolated human T-cell lymphotrophic virus 1 (HTLV-1)
In 1980, National Cancer Institute (NCI) scientists isolated human T-cell lymphotrophic virus 1 (HTLV-1). This virus, which is…
U.S. congressional hearings on proposed amendments to expand the 1970 Plant Variety Protection Act passed
In 1980, U.S. Congressional hearings on proposed amendments to expand the 1970 Plant Variety Protection Act turn into…
The CDC established the National Center for Environmental Health
In 1980, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the National Center for Environmental Health…
Trans Ova Genetics was founded
In 1980, Trans Ova Genetics, now a Urus company, was founded under the vision of Dr. David Faber,…
Lawrence Livermore became a National Laboratory
On Dec. 27, 1979, the U.S. Congress approved the change of the Laboratory’s name to Lawrence Livermore National…
Law redesignated “Sandia Laboratories at Albuquerque” as Sandia National Laboratories
On Dec. 6, 1979, public Law 96-164 [S. 673] passed by the U.S. Congress, was signed by President…
The first use of artificial blood in a patient takes place at the University of Minnesota Hospital
On Nov. 20, 1979, Dr. Robert Anderson from the University Hospital injected Fluosol, a blood substitute developed in…
The last cases of wild type 1 poliovirus occurred in the U.S.
On Jul. 27, 1979, the last cases of wild type 1 poliovirus occurred in the U.S. among unvaccinated…
NCI and National Naval Medical Center signed agreement to cooperate in cancer treatment research program
On Jul. 18, 1979, the National Cancer Institute and the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., signed an…
first Magnetic resonance imaging of human
On Jul. 3, 1977, Dr. Raymond Damadian achieved the first human nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) image — a cross-section…
The Priestley Medal was awarded to Glenn Seaborg
In 1979, the American Chemical Society awarded the Priestley Medal to Glenn Seaborg ‘for his numerous contributions to…
The Three Mile Island nuclear emergency plan was launched
Om Mar. 28, 1979,the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor, near Middletown, Pa., partially melted down resulting…
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The CDC investigated health effects related to the Three-Mile Island nuclear accident
On Mar. 28, 1979, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated health effects related to…
The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research was established to support medical scientists
In 1979, the Honourable Peter Lougheed introduced an Act to the Alberta Legislature to establish the Alberta Heritage…
The National Association for Biomedical Research was founded
In 1979, The National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) was founded providing the unified voice for the scientific…
The first human RNA virus (HTLV-I) was discovered by NCI’s Dr Robert C Gallo
In 1979, the first human RNA virus (HTLV-I) was discovered by the National Cancer Institute’s Dr. Robert C….
The most mutated gene in human cancer, p53, a tumor suppressor gene, was identified
In 1979, the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, p53, was identified by six groups of researchers…
Allan Cormack of Tufts University and Godfrey Hounsfield of EMI Laboratories were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology
In 1979, South African-born physicist Allan Cormack of Tufts University and British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield of EMI Laboratories…
Early concern over the dangers of recombinant DNA has waned and NIH guidelines were relaxed
In 1979, early concern over the dangers of recombinant DNA has waned and the National Institutes of Health…
The RA 27/3 (human diploid fibroblast) strain of rubella vaccine (Meruvax II by Merck) was licensed; all other strains discontinued
In 1979, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed the RA 27/3 (human diploid fibroblast) strain of…
Stanford Medicine researchers discovered dynorphin, a brain chemical 200 times more powerful than morphine
On Dec. 21, 1979, Stanford Medicine pharmacologist Avram Goldstein announced the discovery of dynorphin – a chemical in…
Gladstone Institutes was founded
In 1979, the Gladstone Institutes was founded from an endowment from J. David Gladstone, a self-made man who…
Joan Steitz discovered snRNPs
In 1979, Joan Steitz discovered snRNPs, RNA-protein complexes in the cell’s nucleus that perform a crucial step in…
First insulin pump for diabetes was developed
In 1979, Dr. Robert Sherwin and Dr. William Tamborlane from Yale University announced they had developed an insulin…
Medtronic established a Heart Valves division
In 1979, Medtronic established a Heart Valves division and introduced the Medtronic Hall mechanical heart valve. This prosthetic…
Dr. Norman H Cromwell became acting director of the Eppley Cancer Center
In 1979, Dr. Norman H. Cromwell of the Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, became acting director of…