By TWO VIDEOS FROM IBM - YOUTUBE
Added: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 UTC

Thanks to Mike for the links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKi30ai35mU
IBM DNA Transistor
The Future of Genome Sequencing

In an effort to build a nanoscale DNA sequencer, IBM scientists are drilling nano-sized holes in computer-like chips and passing DNA strands through them in order to read the information contained within their genetic code.

This research effort is to design a silicon-based DNA Transistor that could help pave the way to easily and quickly read human DNA, generating advancements in health condition diagnosis and treatment. The challenge in the effort is to slow the flow of the DNA through the hole so the reader can accurately decode what is in the DNA. If successful, the project could improve throughput and reduce cost to achieve the vision of personalized genome analysis at a cost of $100 to $1,000. In comparison, the first sequencing ever done by the Human Genome Project (HGP) cost $3 billion.

A human genome sequencing capability affordable for individuals is the ultimate goal of the DNA sequencing and is commonly referred to as $1,000 genome. Ultimately, it can improve the quality of medical care by identifying patients who will gain the greatest benefit from a particular medicine and those who are most at risk of adverse reactions.


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvclP3GySUY
A team of IBM Researchers is exploring new and innovative ways to quickly read human DNA at a low cost -- an advancement that can lead to important breakthroughs in health condition diagnosis and treatment.

The scientists are designing a "DNA Transistor" which is created by using an electron beam to make a nanometer-sized opening in a microchip, called a nanopore, to read DNA Molecules.

A DNA molecule consists of millions of different nucleotides that make up the human genome; the blueprint of living organisms.

Next, single strands of DNA molecules that are floating above the microchip are threaded or pulled through the nanopore by an electrical field, which begins the process of reading and sequencing the molecules.

The DNA Transistor device consists of alternating nanometer-sized layers of metal and dielectric. Discrete charges located along the backbone of a DNA molecule get trapped by electrical fields inside the nanopore. By trapping the DNA molecule, scientists will have ample time to measure the molecule structure.

By cyclically turning on and off these gate voltages, researchers have shown theoretically and computationally, and expect to be able prove experimentally, the plausibility of moving DNA through the nanopore at a rate of one nucleotide per cycle a rate that IBM scientists believe would make DNA readable.

Low-cost, yet efficient analysis of DNA data promises to help facilitate the discovery of new healthcare products, and help determine an individual's predisposition to a particular disease or condition.

TAGGED: GENETICS, TECHNOLOGY