The novel spin given to some traditional and established technologies can be astounding. They might have been around for decades, applied in the same way over and over again, and yet, at some point, somebody comes along, observes it in a new light and gives it a brand new polish.
One such technology is called molecular combing or chromosome combing. It has been around since the early 1990s and is a well-established DNA analysis tool. In three separate steps, DNA is extracted from cells and its strands are stretched over a silanized surface, allowing it to be tagged using fluorescent probes. These tags attach to specific DNA sequences and a scanner can automatically detect certain patterns, such as the markers of different diseases.
A golden coat for a long-lasting effect
Molecular combing of DNA is a clever concept that enables the direct visualization of our genetic material at a molecular level.
