On April 25, we celebrate International DNA Day, a holiday established in memory of two extremely important scientific achievements. The first of these was the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA (in 1953), and the second was the completion of the Human Genome Project (in 2003).

Intensive research on the structure of DNA was carried out simultaneously by two groups of researchers in leading scientific centers in Great Britain, at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge and at King’s College in London. The results of their research were published in three papers, which appeared on April 25, 1953, in the journal “Nature” under the joint title “MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF NUCLEIC ACIDS”. The authors of the first paper, featuring the distinctive drawing of the DNA double helix and titled “A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acids” were James Watson and Francis Crick of the Cavendish Laboratory. The second paper, entitled “Molecular Structure of Deoxypentose Nucleic Acids” was signed by Maurice Wilkins, Alex Stokes, and Herbert Wilson from King’s College. The third paper, titled “Molecular Configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate”, authored by Rosalind Franklin and Raymond Gosling from King’s College, contained the world-famous photograph of DNA sodium salt obtained by R. Franklin using X-ray diffraction. Based in part on this photograph, Watson and Crick developed their DNA helix model, for which they, along with Wilkins, were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962. Franklin passed away four years before the Nobel Prize was awarded, so the Nobel Committee did not recognize her contribution to the discovery. Upon seeing this DNA model, R.G. Tsanew remarked: “Our Mother Nature, frenziedly witted, had the double helix so nicely knitted”.

In Watson and Crick’s paper, which was only 1000 words long, the most important and prophetic sentence turned out to be “It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanisms for the genetic material”. This led to the discovery of the genetic code 13 years later by Marshall Nirenberg.

The decoding of the complete sequence of the human DNA, consisting of over 3 billion nucleotides (A, C, G, T), took place 50 years after the discovery of the double helix structure. An initial version of the human genome (covering 90% of its sequence) was published in 2001, but work on the complete version (99% of the genome) continued until April 14, 2003. In this case as well, there was competition between two research teams. The International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, led by American physician and geneticist Francis Collins, had been conducting research on the Human Genome Project since the early 1990s. Much later, in 1998, the American company Celera Genomics, led by geneticist and biochemist John Craig Venter, joined the race to sequence the human genome. They had a new sequencing technology called “shotgun”, which significantly accelerated the work. Both teams published the first results of their research at the same time (February 2001), but in two different journals – Collins’ consortium in “Nature” (https://www.nature.com/articles/35057062), and Venter’s group in “Science” (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11181995/). Announcing this momentous scientific achievement during a press conference at the White House Oval Office in Washington, USA, on June 26, 2000, President Bill Clinton commented: “Human Genome Sequence announcement represents more than just an epoch-making triumph of science and reason. With this profound new knowledge, human-kind is on the verge of gaining immense, new power to heal”.

Research on DNA has been conducted practically since the establishment of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry PAS. Already in the 1970s, the chemistry and biology of nucleic acids became of interest to Professor Maciej Wiewiórowski, the founder of the Institute. In the late 1980s, at the Institute, the insulin gene was synthesized and transferred to the Pharmaceutical Company POLFA for hormone production. Currently, intensive and diverse research is being conducted at the Institute, including analysis of the basic components of DNA, synthesis, modifications, and therapeutic applications of oligonucleotides, as well as sequencing and analysis of the functions of individual genes and entire genomes. In recent years, projects such as the Microbiome Map of Poland, studies on dynasties and the society of the Piast State, the Genomic Map of Poland, and MOSAIC, a project using artificial intelligence algorithms in biomedical research, have been carried out at the Institute. As part of these projects, over 10,000 genomes of Polish residents have been sequenced, collecting data to describe the genetic variability of our population in the past and present.

Finally, it is worth noting another interesting historical fact. Friedrich Miescher discovered nuclein in 1869, but it was 20 years later, in 1889, that Richard Altmann (1852-1900), born in Eylau, now Iława, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, introduced the name nucleic acid for the acidic part of nuclein. In 1890, he also discovered mitochondria.