It seems to me that since the discovery of DNA there hasn’t been that many really important disoveries or new technologies. “Fingerprinting” for fighting crime and knowing if someone is the carrier of a genetic disorder are important findings, but the really big stuff; cloning humans (or even animals, with some level of large-scale succes), curing genetic disorders, or creating food that will solve world hunger all still seem far in the future. Is genetic research all sizzle and no steak?
Such things move slowly, but there has been a heck of a lot of progress since DNA was discovered by Miescher in 1869, for one thing, no one at the time knew that it was the material of heredity…
OH! You mean when the structure of DNA was described in 1953 by Watson and Crick. 
There’s still been a lot of progress. It was decades before our understanding of DNA advanced to the point where we could manipulate the genes on the molecular level (rather than through breeding programs as has been done for thousands of years). We can now do this, and it has resulted in genetically-engineered crops such as corn with toxins to prevent corn borers from attacking it, rice with increased vitamin A content, tomatoes that can last longer, and there are also other transgenic agricultural products already on the market, not just in science fiction.
As you’ve mentioned, there have been advances in DNA fingerprinting and genetic analysis for disease detection and prevention.
Cloning has already occurred with other mammals, but not with humans yet.
Gene therapy for humans to treat disease is already part of present technology for some ailments and in the experimental stage for some others.
Even more developments will continue in the future barring some major disaster that causes the collapse or destruction of much of civilization, incluing more engineered organisms, engineered humans, and perhaps even tailor-made organisms.
What makes you think there have been no advances?
Go here for a short synopsis of accomplishments in the history of genetics.
Wow! Thanks for all the great links. I hadn’t realized all of the advances in agriculture. Still, as the ‘New Scientist’ article illustrates, there is just a ton of hype about how genetic research will change my life, but I have to say that I still don’t see any radical improvements for decades.
It looks like the cloning of any animal life with a high level of success will take a very long time to come to fruition. Gene therapy is still very much experimental and the actual elimination of genetic disorders still a pipe dream. Wouldn’t we better served to put all the incredible amounts of money being spent on genetic research in areas that seem closer to practical improvements in our lives?
I would also like to point out that I didn’t say that there were NO improvements, but that the advances that so many scientists have claimed were around the corner have not been seen.
They said they were right around the corner, they didn’t say how long the block was. Genetics is still a very young science and the progress that has been made in the last 50 years is astounding. True, the greatest discoveries in genetics may not come in our lifetimes, but then again, they may. Cutting funding certainly isn’t the way to find out. Maybe we will be so old that it hurts to pee by the time they discover anything grand, but it may be the “hurts to pee” gene that they find and we will be the happiest 85 year olds in history. 