Biotechnology has a long history dating back thousands of years when early humans first used microorganisms like yeast and mold. In the modern era, key developments include the discovery of DNA's structure in the 1950s, the first genetically engineered bacteria in the 1970s, and the completion of the human genome project in 2000. Biotechnology has since led to important medical advances such as insulin production and gene therapies, as well as applications in agriculture, environmental remediation, and other fields.