DNA contains the instructions that make us who are. If we want to read these instructions, say to understand our predisposition to genetic disorders, we must carefully “dezip” the emblematic structure of DNA with double propeller. It is neither easy nor fast, and the process implies intense heating and chemicals that can damage DNA.
Now in a new study published in Nano ACSA research team led by the University of Osaka has developed a new technology to facilitate the decompression process. Their invention uses a miniature radiator to decompress with precision and gently the double Helic of DNA.
The device uses a nanic size plate. While the bit of DNA reaches the “nanopore”, a nano-tail hole on the device, a tension is applied to the coil. The heat opens DNA, allowing a bit to be read at the same time.
A key advantage of the new method is that we do not have to heat the entire sample, only a very small part of it. This means that the process only needs a few billiWatts of power, DNA damage is minimized and we can read DNA information more precisely. “”
Makusu tsutsui, principal author
The team tested the new method using a long DNA molecule from a virus, which contained nearly 50,000 pairs of bases, as well as a smaller circular plasmid. An surprisingly small amount of heat was sufficient to decompress both the plasmid and the longer DNA molecule.
The precise team heating method also allowed the team to control when and how the DNA molecule was unzipped, regulate its speed and detect its passage through nanopore using electrical signals. This detailed information allowed the team to deduce how the movement of the DNA molecule is affected by the electric forces, the viscous drag of the surrounding fluid and temperature, which are all precious data for additional improvements in DNA sequencing.
“Our device should be easy to manufacture and, we hope, will become basic technology for new and precise new generation sequencing,” said the main author Tomoji Kawai. “The device is microscopic and consumes very little power, it could therefore be incorporated into portable diagnostic devices, allowing on -site access to genetic information that can guide diagnosis and processing. »»
The tiny and powerful system powered by heating represents a step towards portable genetic test devices, which could be used to quickly and easily determine the presence of genes responsible for cancer or other diseases. This could also help stimulate personalized medicine, allowing doctors to recommend treatments based on a person’s unique genetic information.
