Express sequencer in a suitcase
A portable DNA analyzer will make a genetic profile in less than half an hour
Andrey Vasilkov, ComputerraThe Japanese company NEC has introduced the concept of a compact DNA analyzer.
It will be one of the first portable devices implementing the concept of "laboratory on a chip". A complete DNA analysis from the sample placement to the result takes 25 minutes.
Traditional methods require a day or more, besides they are associated with problems of quality control of sampling and transportation of samples. The new product from NEC allows you to perform rapid DNA analysis directly at the site of selection of biological material (for example, blood at the crime scene).
The scheme of the NEC DNA analyzer (hereafter – images of Nippon Electric Corporation)
Nuclear DNA is isolated from the cells of a biological sample in five minutes. Then, without the operator's participation, the next stage is started. Within fifteen minutes, DNA fragments are amplified using a polymerase chain reaction.
After accumulation of a sufficient number of fragments, DNA sequencing by capillary electrophoresis is performed in five minutes. Further, by analyzing short tandem repeats (STR), a genetic profile is created and compared with the database.
The device sequentially performs all the necessary stages of STR-analysis in automatic mode.
STR DNA analysis steps and the time required for their execution in a portable NEC device
The connection to the database is carried out via a wireless interface, and protected modes of data transmission over the Internet are used for access.
The analyzer will be made in a monoblock form factor with dimensions of 752x552x240 mm and a weight of 32 kg.
Power is provided from an AC network with a voltage of 100/220 V and from a DC source of 12 V.
Even before starting serial production, NEC is already making plans for further modernization.
In addition to the natural aspirations to make the device even more compact, lighter and faster, the main efforts of the company are aimed at increasing the number of analyzed STR loci.
The first batches of NEC portable DNA analyzers are due to go on sale in 2013. They will be able to perform analysis at five STR loci, which is sufficient for screening needs.
An improved model analyzing 16 STR loci is expected to be released in 2014. This exceeds the requirements of the current US standard for compiling a human genetic profile based on the analysis of 13 repeats of nucleotide pairs.
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