New device can extract human DNA with full genetic data in minutes
Recently, a group of scientists created a machine that can extract human DNA and process in with in minutes. All you have to do is swab your saliva and give it to the little tips in the middle of the machine. Gathering DNA is super hard for scientists so this is a very important invention.
"It's very complex to extract DNA," said Jae-Hyun Chung, a UW associate professor of mechanical engineering who led the research. "When you think of the current procedure, the equivalent is like collecting human hairs using a construction crane."
The scientists are also creating a pencil like structure, that can be sent home with patients, so they can swab and send back results immediately to hospitals and labs. This needs about two million dollars of funding, but the group has already recieved grants from science foundations.
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Science is collabrative
Science is based on experiment/research
WOW!
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge and great advancement because if we are able to process DNA so quickly and easily we will be able to detect more genetic anomalies and disorders and be able to discover what DNA sequences cause what problems in humans even faster, we know that DNA is the code of life, and there are many things yet to be discovered and studied in it and this invention will greatly speed the process
That could be very useful. Imagine if someone is dropped off at the hospital with no information on what heath issues they have, this machine could detect diseases in the genes so that doctors could do something without having to worry about hurting them. It will also make stuff around the lab easier to research. I can see that it would be very helpful in studying genetic diseases faster.
ReplyDeleteI've read a similar article on this, and I've learned that there's not yet a market for this device. However, this new break through is quite an amazing thing as it will definitely help with genome sequencing and disease diagnosis.
ReplyDeletehttp://earthsky.org/science-wire/
Adrianna Tan (hour 3)