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Home DNA Sequencing
An anonymous reader writes "Wired is running an article about high-tech gifts for Christmas, including a home DNA sequencing kit targeted at kids for under $100. What's next, the Fisher Price Cloning kit?"
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I don't mean producing laboratory quality results, just whether it works at all to produce something recognizable? This would be sort of a fun gift for my girlfriend, who is in biotech.
http://www.welton.it/davidw/
I am curious how powerful the centrifuge is in this thing. My mom worked in a med-lab and they had centrifuge repair guys on call in case one started to make funny noises. Unstable high RPM systems of blood and glass can get a little nasty.
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DNA Sequencing ? As Homer Simpson would put it, "Boring !" I mean, "see kid, this barcode is different from this barcode, this is a black bean DNA and this is a green pea DNA", "dad, can't I go back to my playstation ?".
But, hey, I would like to play with them Pixel Blocks myself ! (from the same wired review).
Quem a paca cara compra, paca cara pagará.
This is a great way to show kids how DNA tests work. I'm all for anything that would help de-mystify DNA testing in the minds of the public. It's particularly gratifying to see that they'll discover it's ultimately a human being making a judgement call about what he or she sees with a microscope.
Wansu, th' chinese sailor
If it's dangerous and geeky, someone on Slashdot will have tried it. :^P Did you try firing an unlit ring at a candle across the room?
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
What's next, the Fisher Price Cloning kit?
...
No, its the biotech killer app that will start a civil war in 10-15% (average region dependent) of all households on the planet
Over the counter, at your local drugstore, genetic paternity tests.......
Whoever markets the first reliable one will be richer than Bill Gates.
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
That's one more thing to add to my list of 'stuff-that-scifi-authors-said-we-would-have-by-20 10'.
:)
Fix your eyes with friggin' lasers.
Communications the size of a pack of smokes (cell phones)
Bluetooth
The Internet
Video Conferencing (and even Video Telephones)
Terrorists with WMDs
Robot that vaccuums
and now...Toys for Sequencing DNA for Junior. Heinlein et al would be proud
Still waiting for flying (or automatic/autopilot) cars, permanent station on Moon/Mars (I'll accept either), Cancer/Common-cold cure (I'll accept either), humanoid robot for menial tasks around the house, acceptable voice control/communications in conjunction with useful AI computing...etc...
Obviously no biochemists were involved if they call it "sequencing"
Hope they are smart enough to make the gel first and not include the ingredients for the litle ones
Search for polyacrylimide gel electrophoresis preperation to see what I mean, cause thats all this is
I tell you what.. drop any farmer with some cows a quick note and you'll be able to find someone who has direct access to anthrax in no time..
It's not really a hugely deadly and/or rare find. It's pretty plain vanilla...