New Electrostatic-based DNA Microarray Technique Could Revolutionize Medical Diagnostics
July 1, 2008 | Source: KurzweilAI
Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have invented a technique in which DNA or RNA assays (for genetic profiling and disease detection) can be read and evaluated without the need for elaborate expensive chemical labeling or sophisticated instrumentation.
A new method for reading DNA (or RNA) microarrays is based on measuring the electrostatic repulsion between silica microspheres and hybridized DNA. Surface areas containing double-stranded DNA (red) or single-stranded DNA (blue) can be easily distinguished from each other and from background areas by the naked eye. (Flavio Robles, Berkeley Lab Public Affairs)
