Technical Principles of Gene Sequencing

Gene sequencing technology can target the genes responsible for an individual's disease, allowing for early prevention and treatment.

Since the early 1990s, academics have been involved in the Human Genome Project. The traditional method of sequencing is to use optical sequencing technology. Four different bases are labeled with different colors of fluorescent light, and then a laser light source is used to capture the fluorescent signals to obtain the sequence information of the genes to be tested.

While this method is reliable, it is notoriously expensive, with a single instrument costing around $500,000 to $750,000 and a single test costing as much as $5,000 to $10,000 per test.

In the latest gene sequencers, chips replace traditional laser lenses, fluorescent stains and so on, and the chip is the sequencer.

Through semiconductor sensors, the instruments enable direct detection of the ionic flow generated when DNA is replicated. When the reagents enter the chip through the integrated fluidic pathway, the reaction holes densely packed on the chip immediately become millions of microreaction systems.

This combination of technologies allows researchers to obtain genetic information in as little as 2 hours. Traditional optical sequencing technology requires weeks or even months of waiting for results. At the same time, the cost of a single test has been reduced to as little as $1k.