Nanopore DNA Sequencing - Faster, Cheaper, And Potentially Lifesaving
A paper released in April, 2006 released the exciting news that nanopore DNA sequencing has finally been achieved. Under the most current method of DNA sequencing, the Sanger method, the DNA had to be chopped into tiny parts and then input into computers so that the software could determine the sequences of the tiny parts and come up with a much larger strand. This method leaves a lot of room for error. Using the nanopore DNA sequencing method, the DNA does not have to be fragmented in order to be read.
The nanopore DNA sequencing method is done by creating a tiny nanopore for the DNA to pass through. As the DNA passes through the nanopore, tiny electrodes read the sequence of each of the base pairs of nucleotides and record the entire strand. Of course there is a lot more of a technical element to it than that, but in a nutshell, these are the basics of how it is done.
Nanopore DNA sequencing is much faster and easier than the Sanger method, and it is much less expensive. An automated sequencer where the electrodes are permanently placed and the DNA would pass through the nanopore in perfect alignment is in the works, which would potentially allow for the quick nanopore DNA sequencing of the entire genetic makeup of a living thing, like a human being.
The paper’s editor feels that nanopore DNA sequencing could easily allow scientists and the medical community to personalize the treatment of each patient based on his or her genetic makeup. The scientific community is confident that nanopore DNA sequencing will become affordable enough and fast enough that it can be used regularly for medical services.
If the nanopore DNA sequencing is as fast and inexpensive as they claim it to be, it is not unreasonable to look forward to longer, healthier lives in the near future. It is not unreasonable to hope for cures for cancer and the common cold because of nanopore DNA sequencing.
It looks as if nanopore DNA sequencing is the wave of the future of genetic research. However, nanopore DNA sequencing certainly makes human cloning a definite possibility, which is sure to stir up some political controversy, and that may make it more difficult for nanopore DNA sequencing to become a reality in the medical field. It is impossible to predict what the future holds, but hopefully the government naysayers will see all the good that can come from nanopore DNA sequencing.
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