CLEVELAND, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- IBM scientists say they are developing a nanoscale DNA sequencer that can easily and quickly read human DNA to aid in healthcare diagnosis and treatment.
IBM Chairman Samuel Palmisano, speaking Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic, announced the project to build a silicon-based DNA "genetic code reader."
Researchers working in the fields of microelectronics, physics and biology, said they're developing a technique that will thread a long DNA molecule through a three-nanometer-wide hole, known as a nanopore, in a silicon microchip. As the molecule is passed through the nanapore, it will serve as an electrical sensor or "bar code reader" of the DNA.
The goal, IBM said, is to make personalized genetic analysis readily available at a cost of $100 to $1,000. In comparison, the first sequencing ever done by the Human Genome Project cost $3 billion.
"The technologies that make reading DNA fast, cheap and widely available have the potential to revolutionize bio-medical research and herald an era of personalized medicine," said IBM Research Scientist Gustavo Stolovitzky. "Ultimately, it could improve the quality of medical care by identifying patients who will gain the greatest benefit from a particular medicine and those who are most at risk of adverse reaction."
