Every year on April 25, the unusual holiday – International DNA Day is celebrated around the world, in recognition of the importance of genetics and scientific achievements made in this area.
This date was chosen in memory of the fact that on April 25, 1953, in the journal Nature, scientists James Watson and Francis Crick, together with Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin, published the results of a study of the structure of the DNA molecule.
Exactly 50 years later, on April 25, 2003, it was announced that the project to decipher the human genome was nearing completion. Additional analysis of some parts of the genome has not yet been completed, but the main work on the project has been completed. Determining the structure of human genes – is an important step for the development of healthcare.
DNA – is deoxyribonucleic acid. It is in DNA that human genetic information is stored, and this test is one of the most popular for establishing family ties.
Back in the mid-19th century, it was established that the ability to inherit certain characteristics of organisms is associated with the material contained in the cell nucleus. Swiss biochemist Johann Friedrich Miescher isolated a substance from pus cells (leukocytes) and salmon sperm in 1868-1872, which he called a nucleic acid (later it was called deoxyribonucleic acid).
It was later determined that DNA molecules are linear polymer chains consisting of many thousands of interconnected – deoxyribonucleotide monomers of four types. But for a long time it was believed that DNA was contained only in animal cells, until in the 1930s, Russian biochemist Andrei Belozersky showed that DNA was an essential component of all living cells. And in 1944, American microbiologist Oswald Avery and his collaborators determined the biological function of DNA as a substance of heredity.
Based on this data, in 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick deciphered X-rays of DNA crystals obtained from the laboratories of Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, and made one of the outstanding discoveries of modern natural science. They established that the DNA molecule is a regular helix consisting of two polynucleotide strands (double helix).
The discovery of the DNA helix was revolutionary for science. Thanks to the discovery of DNA, the code of heredity was revealed, genetic risk was identified, the formation of programmed properties of the body began, heredity was improved, and genetic engineering technologies were created.
In the United States, DNA Day was first celebrated in 2003 and was officially proclaimed by both houses of Congress – by the Senate and House of Representatives.
DNA Day events are organized by the National Human Genome Research Institute (a division of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA). The date may vary, but it certainly falls in April: for example, in 2010 it was celebrated on April 23, in 2011 – on April 15, in 2012 – on April 20. Some organizations around the world celebrate April 25 as World DNA Day or International DNA Day.
In Russia, DNA Day was celebrated for the first time on April 24–25, 2009 at the Krasnoyarsk State Medical University. These days, festive events dedicated to the holiday were held, including open lectures for teachers, students, schoolchildren, doctors, demonstrations of scientific and popular science videos dedicated to the great discoveries of genetics.
Today, special educational programs, scientific lectures and exhibitions in different countries are traditionally timed to coincide with DNA Day.
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