September 29, 2020 6:09:37 pm
The Genopo app took a median 27 minutes to find out the whole SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence from the uncooked knowledge, which the researchers say opens the likelihood to do genomic evaluation on the level of care, in actual time. (Representational)
Scientists have developed a brand new smartphone app that may analyse the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that causes COVID-19, inside minutes.
Described within the journal Communications Biology, the ‘Genopo’ app makes genetic materials extra accessible to distant or under-resourced areas, in addition to the hospital bedside.
“Not everybody has entry to the high-power computing assets which are required for DNA and RNA evaluation, however most individuals have entry to a smartphone,” mentioned Ira Deveson from the Garvan Institute of Medical Analysis in Australia.
“Quick, real-time genomic evaluation is extra essential in the present day than ever, as a central methodology for monitoring the unfold of coronavirus. Our app makes genomic evaluation extra accessible, actually inserting the know-how into the pockets of scientists world wide,” Deveson mentioned.
The researchers examined Genopo on the uncooked sequencing knowledge of virus samples remoted from 9 Sydney sufferers contaminated with SARS-CoV-2.
They extracted and amplified the virus RNA from a swab pattern, sequencing the amplified DNA with a MinION sequencer gadget and analysing the info on a smartphone.
The Genopo app took a median 27 minutes to find out the whole SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence from the uncooked knowledge, which the researchers say opens the likelihood to do genomic evaluation on the level of care, in actual time.
The researchers additionally confirmed that Genopo can be utilized to profile DNA methylation — a modification which modifications gene exercise — in a pattern of the human genome.
“This illustrates a versatile, environment friendly structure that’s appropriate to run many in style bioinformatics instruments and accommodate small or massive genomes,” mentioned Deveson.
“We hope this can make genomics rather more accessible to researchers to unlock the data in DNA or RNA to the good thing about human well being, together with within the present pandemic,” Deveson added.
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