The Historical Significance | Impact in Modern Medicine Coffee in the Laboratory Courtesy of the American Society for Microbiology Archive and Rachel Glaeser. The discovery of DNA, its structure, and function was probably the most significant biological discovery of the 20th century. It has had a tremendous impact on science and medicine. From identifying genes that lead to the development of diseases, to producing pharmaceuticals to treat them, identifying and analyzing genes has led to extraordinary breakthroughs that have changed the face of the future of science forever. In the field of modern medicine and genetic research, the discovery of DNA has allowed for the improved ability to diagnosis disease, detect genetic predisposition to disease, create new drugs to treat disease, use gene therapy as treatment, and design "custom drugs" based on individual genetic profiles. These breakthroughs now offer hope for patients who suffer from what were once untreatable diseases. The effects that the discovery of DNA have had on medicine are truly remarkable, but the impact crosses over into all aspects of our society. From cloning, to paternity cases, to determining the guilt or innocence of a suspect in a crime, to identifying victims, to breeding disease-resistant farm animals and growing more nutritious produce, the classification, analysis and manipulation of genes has transformed our world. The contributions made by Rosalind Franklin and countless other scientists and researchers have allowed us to uncover the structure and behavior of DNA and apply that knowledge to better understand genetic diseases and infectious diseases, the immune system, cancer and aging. In turn, we've come to understand more about ourselves, where we've been, and what tomorrow will bring.
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