Until Nikki's birth, neither had suspected they were carriers of the cystic fibrosis gene.

Scientists say their work is also important because they have managed to spur the cystic fibrosis gene to manufacture its protein in the laboratory.

Thousands more are tested for the cystic fibrosis gene.

One of every 25 white Americans carries one copy of the cystic fibrosis gene.

"We knew the cystic fibrosis gene had to be in there somewhere," he said.

Although the parents were normal, any child who inherited one copy of the cystic fibrosis gene from each parent would have the disease.

The next step was to search for the cystic fibrosis gene.

Discovery of the cystic fibrosis gene - an "easy" find according to those scientists -took seven years at a very high cost.

In 1987, a human chromosome jumping library was constructed to clone the cystic fibrosis gene.

But when, a few years later, he was part of a team that found the cystic fibrosis gene, his reputation was made.