What happens to DNA sequence when it comes off a sequencing machine?
Topic: Methods and TechnologyDNA sequencing produces huge amounts of data essentially comprising of lots of short sections of DNA letters. The first step is to check that the sequence is of the highest...
View ArticleYou vs. Machine
Are you faster than a machine? Compete against the computer to sequence DNA from a capillary sequencing machine. Launch You vs. Machine In You vs. Machine you get the chance to compete against a...
View ArticleThe ongoing battle against drug resistant malaria
Resistance to antimalarial drugs is one of the biggest problems currently facing malaria control. Recent studies looking at the genome of the malaria parasite could help scientists understand how drug...
View ArticleWhat is PCR (polymerase chain reaction)?
Topic: Methods and TechnologyPCR is a technique used in the lab to make millions of copies of a particular section of DNA. It was first developed in the 1980s. What is PCR? The polymerase chain...
View ArticleWhat are helminths?
Topic: Targeting DiseaseHelminths are worm-like parasites that survive by feeding on a living host to gain nourishment and protection, sometimes resulting in illness of the host. There are a variety of...
View ArticleWhat is gel electrophoresis?
Topic: Methods and TechnologyElectrophoresis is a technique commonly used in the lab to separate charged molecules, like DNA, according to size. Gel electrophoresis is a technique commonly used in...
View ArticleHow do you map a genome?
Topic: Methods and TechnologyGenome mapping is used to identify and record the location of genes and the distances between genes on a chromosome. Genome mapping provided a critical starting point for...
View ArticleHow is genomics being used to tackle neglected tropical diseases?
Neglected tropical diseases affect the poorest of the world’s populations but relatively little is known about their biology. Genomics is now providing insight into these diseases and enabling...
View ArticleDefeating the little dragon
The Guinea worm is a water-transmitted parasite that develops over a year in its host before painfully emerging from the skin. It is hoped that it will soon become the first parasite to be eradicated...
View ArticleWhat is a DNA fingerprint?
Topic: Methods and TechnologyDNA fingerprinting is a method used to identify an individual from a sample of DNA by looking at unique patterns in their DNA. Background Almost every cell in our body...
View ArticleThe ‘eureka’ moment that revolutionised crime solving
In 1984, Alec Jeffreys developed the technique of DNA fingerprinting in his laboratory at the University of Leicester. These techniques have revolutionised the way that the police solve crimes. From...
View ArticleWhat is CRISPR-Cas9?
Topic: Methods and TechnologyCRISPR-Cas9 is a genome editing tool that is creating a buzz in the science world. It is faster, cheaper and more accurate than previous techniques of editing DNA and has a...
View ArticleTracking ‘superbugs’
Infectious diseases can spread quickly in a hospital environment, particularly if the pathogen that causes the disease is resistant to the drugs relied on to fight it. Genomics may be able to help...
View ArticleScience in the time of cholera
Although cholera is commonly thought to be a disease of the Victorian era, it is still a significant problem in many areas of the modern world. Genomics research is helping to bring us closer to...
View ArticleDNA sequencing
This 3D animation shows the basic steps in the method of DNA sequencing that was used during the Human Genome Project. This 3D animation shows you how scientists during the Human Genome Project read...
View ArticleWhat is a GMO?
Topic: Animals and PlantsGMOs are organisms that have had their characteristics changed through the modification of their DNA. GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Genetically modified (GM)...
View ArticleWhat is genome editing?
Topic: Methods and TechnologyGenome editing is a way of making specific changes to the DNA of a cell or organism. An enzyme cuts the DNA at a specific sequence, and when this is repaired by the cell a...
View ArticleWhat is selective breeding?
Topic: Animals and PlantsSelective breeding involves selecting parents that have characteristics of interest in the hope that their offspring inherit those desirable characteristics. What is selective...
View ArticleInbreeding: from champion horses to life-saving mice
Humans have been breeding animals for millenia to bring out desirable characteristics. With the thoroughbred race horse there's lots of money at stake but with research mice it's the possibility of...
View ArticleWhat is a stem cell?
Topic: In the CellA stem cell is a cell with the unique ability to develop into specialised cell types in the body. In the future they may be used to replace cells and tissues that have been damaged or...
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