New Nanotechnology Able To Examine Single Molecules, Aiding In Determining Gene

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New Nanotechnology Able To Examine Single Molecules, Aiding In

Determining Gene Expression

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070124143834.htm

A new nanotechnology that can examine single molecules in order to

determine gene expression, paving the way for scientists to more

accurately examine single cancer cells, has been developed by an

interdisciplinary team of researchers at UCLA's California

Nanosystems Institute (CNSI), New York University's Courant

Institute of Mathematical Sciences, and Veeco Instruments, a

nanotechnology company. Their work appears in the January issue of

the journal Nanotechnology.

Previously, researchers have been able to determine gene expression

using microarray technology or DNA sequencing. However, such

processes could not effectively measure single gene transcripts--the

building blocks of gene expression. With their new approach, the

researchers of the work reported in Nanotechnology were able to

isolate and identify individual transcript molecules--a sensitivity

not achieved with earlier methods.

" Gene expression profiling is used widely in basic biological

research and drug discovery, " said of UCLA's Department

of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the study's lead

author. " Scientists have been hampered in their efforts to unlock

the secrets of gene transcription in individual cells by the minute

amount of material that must be analyzed. Nanotechnology allows us

to push down to the level of individual transcript molecules. "

" We are likely to see more of these kinds of highly multi-

disciplinary research aimed at single molecule sequencing, genomics,

epigenomic, and proteomic analysis in the future, " added Bud Mishra,

a professor of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Cell Biology from

NYU's Courant Institute and School of Medicine. " The most exciting

aspect of this approach is that as we understand how to

intelligently combine various components of genomics, robotics,

informatics, and nanotechnology--the so-called GRIN technology--the

resulting systems will become simple, inexpensive, and commonplace. "

The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of

Health, the Department of Defense, the National Institute of

Standards and Technology and NASA.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by New

York University.