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Review
. 2022 Apr 2;23(7):3976.
doi: 10.3390/ijms23073976.

Genetics Matters: Voyaging from the Past into the Future of Humanity and Sustainability

Acga Cheng  1 , Jennifer Ann Harikrishna  1   2 , Charles S Redwood  3 , Lei Cheng Lit  4 , Swapan K Nath  5 , Kek Heng Chua  6
Affiliations
Review

Genetics Matters: Voyaging from the Past into the Future of Humanity and Sustainability

Acga Cheng et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

The understanding of how genetic information may be inherited through generations was established by Gregor Mendel in the 1860s when he developed the fundamental principles of inheritance. The science of genetics, however, began to flourish only during the mid-1940s when DNA was identified as the carrier of genetic information. The world has since then witnessed rapid development of genetic technologies, with the latest being genome-editing tools, which have revolutionized fields from medicine to agriculture. This review walks through the historical timeline of genetics research and deliberates how this discipline might furnish a sustainable future for humanity.

Keywords: agriculture; biodiversity; gene-editing; genetic technologies; heredity; medicine; sustainability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Notable genetic discoveries in the past one and a half centuries.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Common CRISPR/Cas systems used for genetic manipulation.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The differences between somatic and germline genome editing.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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