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Miniaturized DNA Sewing Machines
Roland Piquepaille writes "Japanese researchers have found a way to build long threads of DNA using miniaturized hooks and bobbins. In fact, they've demonstrated how to manipulate delicate DNA chains without breaking them. They've designed these laser-directed microdevices to pick up and manipulate individual molecules of DNA. The scientists have used optical tweezers to catch and move these microdevices, which could be used in the future to detect genetic disorders such as Down syndrome." Here's a link to the journal article.
The a great frontier seems to be biological engineering in this manner. Tools like this seem to be putting the ground work down for the ability to program biology like a computer.
A recent interesting talk on the new field can be viewed here:
http://norfolk.cs.washington.edu/htbin-post/unrestricted/colloq/details.cgi?id=677
Exciting stuff! I can't wait for the api.
It's not all it can do. I didn't do an in-depth read, but it seems like for one thing this technique could be an extremely handy way to test chromesomal stability as affected by nucleotide sequence, chromatin structure, histones and modifications, etc.
Chromesomal instability could be a major cause of cancer. Nearly all cancerous cells have an abnormal number of chromesomes. It's not too hard to imagine that if you break part of your chromesome corresponding to the centromere and that cell divides, one of the cells won't get that chromesome, which may or may not have a lot of oncogenes which would suppress cancer, and that cell might become cancerous.
So it seems to me that this technique could be used to figure out what might give you cancer and treatments which might improve chromatin stability and keep you healthy. Still think it's hardly worth mentioning?
(I need to point out I'm not a cancer biologist, haven't read the paper too closely, and this is almost completely untested speculation, so take everything with a grain of salt but do realize the possibilities are greater than "do you have Down's syndrome?)
I find it funny that every minute thing about computer hardware is a big deal here on slashdot, wheras almost anything involving biology gets a "who cares" or a "no big deal" and 9 times out of 10 gets a doomsday prediction.
Come to think of it, I'm suprised no one has tagged this with "whatcouldpossiblygowrong." It DOES involve DNA, which will inevitably lead to a "I am Legend" type scenario...
Anyway, we biologists realize the importance of computers, even though they're generally less efficient and more finnicky than almost anything mother nature has developed. How come computer people can't recognize the importance of the biological sciences?
Well... no, I'm pretty sure they don't. The technique doesn't sound at all suited to remove the extra 21st chromesome from even one cell, let alone all the cells in a patient's body.
A treatment that could do that would still not be able to undo the developmental damage.