1990-2002

1990

• Gene Therapy approved for use
  • Gene therapy treats diseases by inserting genes for resistance to that disease into a person's cells. This is especially useful for genetic diseases, where faulty genes can be replaced     

1991

• First significant amount of power from Nuclear Fusion
  • Nuclear Fusion has the potential to produce large amounts of power without radioactive by-products. In this experiment energy equivalent to 1MW was produced for 2 seconds     

1992

• Nobel Prize for electron transfer theory
  • The transfer of electrons is fundamental to many chemical processes. By developing theories about electron transfer it is easier to understand what is happening at a molecular level     

1993

• TAXOL^®, a cancer treatment is launched
  • TAXOL^® (paclitaxel) was a revolutionary new cancer treatment as it worked in a different way to any other. This has led to research in new areas of cancer treatment     

1994

• Genetic test for osteoporosis published
  • Genetic testing allows doctors to identify people at risk from a particular disease. A test for osteoporosis means that at risk patients can take steps to delay or prevent the onset of the disease     

1995

• Nobel prize for work in atmospheric chemistry
  • Understanding the formation and decomposition of ozone in the atmosphere is important for understanding the hole in the ozone layer. This work identifies the steps that need to be taken to prevent further decomposition     

1996

• Dolly the Sheep born
  • Dolly is probably the most famous sheep on the planet, and the first mammal to be successfully cloned. Therapeutic cloning may provide treatment for a wide range of diseases in the future     

1997

• Nobel Prize awarded for understanding of synthesis of ATP in the body
  • Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the principal carrier of chemical energy in the body. The way it is synthesised in the body is important in understanding how our bodies use energy     

1998

• Addictive component of the mechanism of Nicotine's action upon the brain identified
  • Though Nicotine has been recognised as being addictive for some time the exact mechanism by which it acts on the brain was not known. Treatments for nicotine addiction can now be targeted     

1999

• Nobel Prize awarded for femtosecond spectroscopy
  • Femtosecond spectroscopy "photographs" chemical reactions as they happen, using a laser as a "flash". One femtosecond is 0.000000000000001 seconds. If the events that happen in a femtosecond were expanded to fill a second then the events in a second would fill 32 million years     

2000

• First draft of the Human Genome announced
  • The Human Genome tells us about the way our bodies work. By sequencing the genome it is possible to identify the causes of genetic disease, and identify cures     

2001

• New class of cancer drug announced
  • Gleevec^® is one of the first drugs to be developed by rational drug design, in other words, from an understanding of the way that the cancer it treats works     

2002

• It's difficult to tell which of this year's chemical discoveries will stand out in the future
  • But chemical science is always working to provide a better life for us all