CD media to the rescue of science once again. First we learn of the bacteriological transmorgifying of music on CD with microscopic bugs. Now we learn that genetic drool dropped to and dried on a common CD, paired with an inkjet printer may unlock the mysteries of the human genome. Possibly saving ourselves from..I don't know something bad.
James LA Clair, a molecular biologist, once absentmindedly dribbled a bit of a biochemical sample onto a music CD that was lying on his lab bench. When he popped the punk-rock recording into a player later, he found that the chemical, which by that time had dried, had silenced it. Strange, weird, fascinating, good, worthless..not hardly. That small accident four years ago proved more inspirational than irritating.
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Along with Michael D. Burkart, an assistant professor of biochemistry at the university, Dr. La Clair has proposed a system for molecular screening that uses a conventional computer CD-R drive and an inkjet printer. The two men hope their system will enable individuals to do the kind of genetic testing that is now limited to well-equipped laboratories. "You can see kids squishing an ant and sequencing its genome at home with this," Dr. Burkart said. |
Before any of you try this at home be warned the serious consequences of such endeavors; Dr. Burkart, who had worked with Dr. La Clair at another laboratory, was also interested in finding less expensive ways to discover molecules. Eventually Dr. La Clair temporarily left Berlin, where he runs a scientific consulting company, for the research sojourn in San Diego to refine his idea.
The system, which is described in the Sept. 21 issue of the journal Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry (they are flying off the shelves), is not exactly ready for home use. If nothing else, the two scientists say it would certainly void any printer warranty, because the chemicals involved occasionally destroy some printers.
Source: nytimes.com
