Human Genome Sequencing To Be Revolutionised With 15-minute, $100 Plans

Human genome sequencing is expected to become as cheap as 100 dollars per case, and that too at speeds 20,000 times faster than second-generation sequencers currently on the market,

With human genome sequencing hitting big time, this new-fangled technology is expected to become as cheap as 100 dollars per case, and that too at speeds 20,000 times faster than second-generation sequencers currently on the market. The latest version of such a new device is being developed to watch DNA being copied in real time.

Stephen Turner, the Chief Technology Officer at Pacific Biosciences, has revealed Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing will be released commercially in 2010.

Genetic Counselling - Steps GeneticInheritance Risks Conclusion
Encyclopedia section of medindia gives general info about Genetic counseling

A decade ago, it took Celera Genomics and the Human Genome Project years to sequence complete human genomes.

In 2008, James Watson's entire genetic code was read by a new generation of technology in months.

With SMRT sequencing, Pacific Biosciences experts expect to accomplish the same feat in minutes.

About Genetic Testing
Genetic testing helps to confirm a genetic condition in an individual and involves q complex laboratory techniques

The method used in the Human Genome Project taps into the cell's natural machinery for replicating DNA.

The enzyme DNA polymerase is used to copy strands of DNA, creating billions of fragments of varying length. Each fragment ends with a tiny fluorescent molecule that identifies only the last nucleotide in the chain, and by lining these fragments up according to length, their glowing tips can be read off like letters on a page.

Study Says 'DNA Sudoku' may Revolutionise Genome Sequencing
A new study says that Sudoku, the popular mathematics puzzle that has taken people by storm, is now set to revolutionize the world of genome sequencing and the field of medical genetics.

Instead of inspecting DNA copies after polymerase has done its work, SMRT sequencing watches the enzyme in real time as it races along and copies an individual strand stuck to the bottom of a tiny well.

Every nucleotide used to make the copy is attached to its own fluorescent molecule that lights up when the nucleotide is incorporated, and this light is spotted by a detector that identifies the colour and the nucleotide - A, C, G, or T.

Wiener Dog's Stubby Legs may Hold Clue to Human Dwarfism
A new research has determined that the wiener dog's stubby little legs hold a clue to both human dwarfism and evolution as a whole.

The researchers behind this technology hope that repeating this process simultaneously in many wells may help bring about a substantial boost in sequencing speed.

"When we reach a million separate molecules that we're able to sequence at once ... we'll be able to sequence the entire human genome in less than 15 minutes," said Turner.

The device also has the potential to reduce the number of errors made in DNA sequencing. Given that the errors made by SMRT sequencing are random, that is not systematically occurring at the same spot, they are more likely to disappear as the procedure is repeated.

A presentation on "Single Molecule Real-Time DNA Sequencers" was made at the 2009 Industrial Physics Forum, a component of the 51st Annual Meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine, on Monday.

Source-ANI
TAN