Arizona State University (US) team devises a prototype DNA reader that could make whole genome profiling an everyday practice in medicine.
A low-cost DNA reader could introduce genome sequencing into everyday medical practice. Devised by Arizona State University (Arizona, USA) researchers, the device is sensitive enough to distinguish the individual chemical bases of DNA (known by their abbreviated letters of A, C, T or G) when they are pumped past the reading head. Proof-of-concept was demonstrated, by using solutions of the individual DNA bases, which gave clear signals sensitive enough to detect tiny amounts of DNA (nanomolar concentrations), even better than today’s state-of-the-art, so called next-generation DNA sequencing technology. Such technology could help usher in the age of personalized medicine.
