Post by Michigan Medicine

Today is #DNADay, and what better way to observe the anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA than to celebrate one of the major milestones in genetics history, which happened in part on our campus? In 1989, Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D. and his team in our University of Michigan Medical School Department of Human Genetics were hunting for a needle in a haystack: the genetic variation that causes most cases of #cysticfibrosis. This photo shows him illustrating just how hard that was, using the genetic tools available at the time. Working with a team at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, they used a new "gene hunting" approach developed at the two institutions to make the discovery. It paved the way for a revolution in the diagnosis and care of people with CF, including at our C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. But it also helped set the stage for the Human Genome Project and many, many more disease-related genetic discoveries, tests and therapies. Dr. Collins left U-M to lead the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and later directed The National Institutes of Health. Today, we can sequence a patient's entire genome to look for clues to their condition, and treat cancer and autoimmune disease with CAR-T therapy that's based in genetic engineering. Our laboratory researchers harness massive amounts of genetic data to study disease origins and potential treatments. Read more about the CF gene milestone and what came after it: https://michmed.org/MD3GP Want to see a 90s-era gene sequencer, and other artifacts from our history? Visit our medical history exhibit at the Museum on Main Street in Ann Arbor's Kerrytown district, open through August for free public weekend afternoon hours and private weekday tours by reservation. More information: https://michmed.org/museum