Recently DNA sequencing has become very inexpensive Please d

Recently, DNA sequencing has become very inexpensive. Please discuss how the technological advancements had contributed to make DNA sequencing so cheap; and also comment on how inexpensive DNA sequencing will affect the biomedical sciences in the near future. Please write a 200-250 Word report on the following subject

Solution

Advances in the fiels of genomics have led to substancial reduction in the cost of genome sequencing.When an entire genome is sequenced it is called whole genome sequencing.An alternative to whole genome sequencing is the sequencing of the targeted portion of the genome.This technique involves sequencing the part of the genome that is responsible for codind proteins i.e exons.All the exons in the human genome are equivalent to 1.5% of the whole human genome.Due to advances in technology now it is possible to isolate just the exons,whch can be sequenced to produce the whole exome sequence of the genome.Since much less DNA is sequence the cost of whole exome sequencing is alo comparatively less.

The two levels of quality related to genome sequencing are i) draft sequence( involoving 90% of the genome at 99.9% accuracy) and ii) finished sequence(involving >95% of genome at 99.99% accuracy).The costs involved n finished sequences is very high because it is alabour intensive process.Nowadays genome sequencing mostly involves the use of draft sequences therby reducing the cost of sequencing. Cost of DNA seqencing has also reduced much ecause of development of Optical nanopore DNA sequencer.This technology involves the use of nanopores that detect the DNA molecules as they pass through the pore.

Due to low costs involved in genome sequencing,we will be able to determine the basis of genetic susceptibillity in rare human diseases.Improvements in sequencing will help to find the loci that contribute to variable expressivity of rare genetic diseases.Diseases that involve genetic heterogeniety can be investigated by sequencing specific loci accross affected popuation.Another field which will be seiouly impacted will be cancer biology.With the help of sequencing,it will be easy to target those mutations that give rise to cancer.Identification of new pathogens could be done through advance sequencing.