A new era of medicine has been started by the publication of the full human genome sequence. The sequencing of the genome actually took 10 years, and it cost around $30 billion, but today, the cost has fallen to as low as $500. A hand-held reader for genetic materials has been developed by Oxford Nanopore, and the firm wants to create a real time connection with DNA information using those readers.
The hand-held DNA readers can be used for restaurants, food factories, water supplies, crime scenes, and more. It doesn't have to be limited to healthcare, like genetic modification originally was. Dr Gordon Sanghera, the chief executive of Oxford Nanopore, called it "the ultimate barcode." The handheld reader is called the MinION, and it can read each strand of DNA by squeezing them through a tiny hole called the nanopore and analyzing the electrical signals.
Sanghera believes that the MinION can be used to diagnose infections at home and reduce trips to the doctor. It can also prevent the over-prescription of antibiotics. It can also help help to access genetic dispositions for diseases at birth, in order to create a stable plan of action to prevent the disease from getting worse.
Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43897018
Genetic Testing is a very important step that people need to take in order to prevent illness from carrying to the generations. A simple test can help identify the illness & can be counteracted in the initial stages.
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