Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have
created a smartphone ultra-zoom solution that allows scientists in the
field to image and size DNA. The tool, which uses a little 3D-printed
box that acts as a high-resolution microscope, can be used to see
objects as small as two nanometers in width.
“For
perspective, that makes DNA about 50,000 times thinner than a human
hair,” said Aydogan Ozcan, the UCLA professor involved in the project.
“Currently, imaging single DNA molecules requires bulky, expensive
optical microscopy tools, which are mostly confined to advanced
laboratory settings. In comparison, the components for my device are
significantly less expensive.”
From the release:
“For
perspective, that makes DNA about 50,000 times thinner than a human
hair,” said Aydogan Ozcan, the UCLA professor involved in the project.
“Currently, imaging single DNA molecules requires bulky, expensive
optical microscopy tools, which are mostly confined to advanced
laboratory settings. In comparison, the components for my device are
significantly less expensive.”From the release:
The
device is intended for use in remote laboratory settings to diagnose
various types of cancers and nervous system disorders, such as
Alzheimer’s, as well as detect drug resistance in infectious diseases.
To use the camera it is necessary to first isolate and label the desired
DNA with fluorescent tags.Ozcan says such laboratory procedures are
possible even in remote locations and resource-limited settings.To scan
the DNA, the group developed a computational interface and Windows smart
application running on the same smart phone. The scanned information is
then sent to a remote server in Ozcan’s laboratory, which measures the
length of the DNA molecules. Assuming you have a reliable data
connection, the entire data processing takes less than 10 seconds.
Considering current methods require non-portable heavy machinery and
computers, this seems like a godsend for researchers in the field. The
team is currently using the tool to “detect the presence of
malaria-related drug resistance.”