HOW DOES THE MINION DNA-SEQUENCER WORK?
When the first human DNA was sequenced in the 1970s it took years, but now genetic information can be sequenced in a matter of seconds.
This is thanks to a device called MinION, developed by UK firm Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
The compact biomolecule sequencer has minimal moving parts and plugs directly into a laptop or tablet, which supplies power and collects the sequencing data.
The device uses tiny molecular pores, or 'nanopores', in a membrane that 'senses' the sequence of DNA fragments passing through it.
When the first human DNA was sequenced in the 1970s it took years, now genetic information can be sequenced in a matter of seconds. This is thanks to a device called MinION (pictured), developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies
As pieces of genome pass through the nanopores, they produce minute fluctuations in an electrical current trace.
These traces, termed 'squiggles', are then translated to the DNA bases they reflect via a computer programme.
Unlike terrestrial instruments whose sequencing run times can take days, this device's data is available in near real time.
Analysis can begin within 10-15 minutes from the application of the sample.
Currently the device can only analyse purified DNA samples that have been prepared in a lab, meaning it cannot read a blood or saliva sample directly.
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