Emory University researchers said their new technique will help other scientists discover subtle and overlooked genetic variations that might have serious consequences for health and disease.

The protocol -- called Microarray-based Genomic Selection, or MGS -- allows scientists to extract and enrich specific large-sized DNA regions, then compare genetic variation among individuals using DNA resequencing methods.

The technology reported by postdoctoral fellow David Okou and Assistant Professor Michael Zwick appears in the online issue of the journal Nature Methods and will be public in the journal's November print edition.