jan 1, 2000 - 2000: Genetic code of the fruit fly is decoded

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In March 2000, scientists from a number of laboratories successfully decoded the genetic makeup of the fruit fly. The collaborative effort had major implications for the sequencing of the human genome, as fly cell biology and development has much in common with mammals.

During their research, the scientists discovered that every fruit fly cell contains 13,601 genes, making it by far the most complex organism decoded at the time. However, by contrast, human cells contain 70,000 genes. Whilst the Human Genome Project still had a long way to go to achieve its ultimate objective, this was an important milestone along the way.

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