Rapid blood test could detect lung cancer
A blood test could swiftly detect gene mutations found in lung cancer, allowing faster commencement of treatment...
BioNews
PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a technique used for making millions of copies of a particular piece of DNA, requiring only a tiny sample of starting material.
17 articles
Mitochondrial DNA test improves IVF success rates
A test which measures mitochondrial DNA levels in the embryo could help increase IVF success rates, scientists claim...
New genetic screening test for rare diseases to be launched in US
A new genetic test screening for almost 450 rare childhood genetic diseases could be available in the US this year, reports the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation (BBDF)....
Book Review: Drawing the Map of Life - Inside the Human Genome Project
The quest to sequence the first human genome has all the ingredients of a good thriller. Privately funded maverick scientist Dr Craig Venter raced the government-sponsored Human Genome Project (HGP) to be the first to sequence the human genetic code. When the draft code was finally published in 2001, it became one of the landmark scientific advances of the last decade...
Celebrating 20 years of preimplantation genetic diagnosis
At the beginning of this month, following the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) annual meeting in Rome, a workshop was held to celebrate 20 years of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)...
New 'barcode' technique to study gene activity
Researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, have developed a technique to digitally barcode gene activity, handing scientists a uniquely powerful tool for the prediction and prevention of disease. The fluorescent 'nano-string' is simply added to blood where it binds to a molecule of the researchers' choice...
Concern over proposed prenatal screening changes
New recommendations for prenatal screening programmes to detect Down syndrome could lead to some chromosome abnormalities being missed, UK researchers say. A team based at Salisbury District Hospital looked at the likely effect of the proposal to scrap a type of testing called karyotyping in favour of newer, rapid methods...