New USB Stick Sequences DNA in Moments

The human genome was first mapped in 2003 for the low, low sum of $3 billion. It took 15 years to complete. Now, 9 years later we’re able to stick the technology into a USB stick. Granted, sequencing a human genome would take many hours, but the device is more than capable of handling simple genomes. And it is a harbinger of the future to come.

Built by UK firm Nanopore, the small device--called the minION--can sequence the genomes of viruses and bacteria in seconds. The data is relayed directly to your computer, since it is, after all, a USB stick. The tech might be a bit simple, but it is more than capable of testing a biopsy for cancer in moments or testing bone fragments for the species of their owner at, say, an archaeological dig.

Right now, the device is merely meant as a proof of concept, to show the power that this technology could have in the future. To showcase more powerful sequencing technologies, Nanopore is also building a larger device--called GridION--capable of sequencing more complex genomes. This device would be meant for labs.

The devices rely on simple, quick methods for processing DNA. Within the MinION is a protein called alpha hemolysin that is capable of unzipping DNA. The DNA binds to something in the device, which creates a small electrical charge. Since each element of DNA has its own charge, a researcher can, in mere moments, get a full result of the DNA sequence. This takes far less time than the other thechnique frequently used, which requres the amplification of DNA. Amplification is just the wholesale replication of it, so that there’s more of the DNA to look at. It also means that the DNA doesn’t have to be broken down into chunks, another timely and costly thing that makes it hard to assemble again.

The MinION is capable of hanling human DNA in 6 hours, which is a bit longer than on of their competitors, who launched a desktop model that can process a human genome in 2. And with similar prices ($900 for the MinION and $1,000 for the Ion Proton from Ion Torrent). But while Ion Torrent has a bit of an advantage on time and is already known in the industry, the sheer portability of the MinION could make it a winner.

NewScientist Photo by : Oxford Nanopore Technologies