Gene-Testing Machine for Doctors

December 2, 2009 | Source: Technology Review

(Nanosphere)

Nanosphere has developed a device called Verigene that can detect genetic variations in blood that modulate the effectiveness of some drugs, allowing for drug-prescription decisions.

Verigene uses a combination of microfluidics and nanotechnology, housed in a single plastic cartridge, to pull DNA from a blood sample and then screen it for the relevant sequences. It could be run in a doctor’s office.