Berkeley Microarray Makes Cancer Diagnosis Less Costly
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have invented an innovative microarray technique that has the potential to make cancer detection faster and less expensive.
Berkeley’s technique uses a process called electrostatic repulsion to analyze DNA and RNA assays used to build personalized genetic profiles and to detect cancer, as well as other diseases. In electrostatic repulsion, thousands of electrically-charged microscopic glass beads are dispersed in fluid across the surface of a sample and then the motion of the spheres is measured to reveal specifics about the genes, mutations and pathogens present.
Berkeley Lab reports the technique can be used to analyze millions of DNA sequences at a time and results can be recorded with simple hand-held imaging devices like a cell phone camera. Because this electrostatic method doesn’t require the time-consuming fluorescent labeling or high-power instrumentation used in other microarray techniques, it could provide a cost-effective way for smaller US laboratories, rural health facilities, or clinics in developing countries to conduct cancer screening, genetic profiling, and research. As the leader of the Berkeley project said,
“One of the most amazing things about our electrostatic detection method is that it requires nothing more than the naked eye to read out results that currently require chemical labeling and confocal laser scanners. We believe this technique could revolutionize the use of DNA microarrays for both research and diagnostics.”
Jay T. Groves
Chemist, Physical Biosciences Division
US Dept of Energy Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The researchers credit physics experiments conducted by Robert Millikan almost 100 years ago with inspiring their discovery.
If you’d like to learn more about this research, the team’s findings have been published in the June 29, 2008, online edition of Nature Biotechnology.
Source: Berkeley Lab News Center
Related Link: ScienceDaily
Related Podcast: Stand Up to Cancer from CR Magazine
Technorati Tags: Brownian Motion; University of California; genomics; microscopy; oncology; personalized medicine; patient access
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