US scientists have developed a technique for mapping DNA at a much faster rate than existing methods, and using smaller specimens. The researchers were led by Dr Jason Reed of Cancer Molecular Genetics Virginia Commonwealth University's research programme. Their method speeds up existing atomic force microscopy (AFM) by more than a thousand times, using optical instruments to detect molecular reactions. They then use a new chemical barcoding system to place markers on DNA molecules to identify patterns. The new process has many potential applications, including helping to diagnose and treat genetic mutations that cause diseases such as cancer.
US scientists have developed a technique for mapping DNA at a much faster rate than existing methods, and using smaller specimens. The researchers were led by Dr Jason Reed of Virginia Commonwealth University's Cancer Molecular Genetics research programme. Their method speeds up existing atomic force microscopy (AFM) by more than a thousand times, using optical instruments to detect molecular reactions. They then use a new chemical barcoding system to place markers on DNA molecules to identify patterns. The new process has many potential applications, including helping to diagnose and treat genetic mutations that cause diseases such as cancer.