• DNA in a human hand

    November 25, 2014

    The devices that can unravel DNA strands are overpowering, quite large and certainly not mobile. Developers from Oxford created MinION. This is a portable DNA reader that fits in a person’s hand. Using the USB it can be connected to any computer and read the sequence of the DNA strands of the material placed in the reader. The device, which saves the huge technical resources needed for such tasks, will hit the market with the quite affordable price of $ 900.

    MinION uses a biomechanical screen and smart enzymes, which pull the DNA strand through a small hole. Moving through there, each base pair is electrically tested for consistency and ultimately the entire chain is read. Although it is a portable model, in no way can it be said that it is for home use. A laboratory for the extraction of the DNA sample to enter the device is still required. Still, it is expected that the freaks of personal freedom will be immediately horrified because of the low price and the mobility of the device. The fear that in the future the request for a DNA sample for testing will become a standard even more than the question of a person’s date of birth, raises concerns.