DNA Sequencing: A historical timeline
DNA sequencing has greatly advanced over the last 60 years, proving to be one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the modern era. The process of DNA sequencing has provided us with the most vital but basic information of all, allowing the careful and thorough analysis of many organisms ranging from bacteria to human beings. The process of DNA sequencing allows scientists to map the order of nucleotides in DNA strands. With this knowledge, for example, we can locate regulatory and gene sequences, make comparisons between homologous genes across species and identify mutations.
-Early years
The journey begins in 1953, when the structure of DNA was determined to be a double helix structure. The team
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Planning began in 1984, and by 1990 a proposed 15 year project was launched to successfully map a target of at least 95% of the human genome. Beginning in the US, the $3-billion project was formally founded in by the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), led by James Watson and soon collaborated with scientists across the world, particularly in the UK. The project used an English based experiment led by John Sultson in the MRC’s laboratory of molecular biology in Cambridge that was at the time attempting to sequence the genome of the nematode (worm). Following this success, in 1992, Sulston submitted a grant application worth £40million to open the Sanger centre, which led the UK’s efforts in the human genome project. By the end of that year, work had begun with 87 scientists based in the labs …show more content…
The technique is based on the detection of pyrophosphate (PPi) that is released during synthesis of new DNA due to the incorporation of complimentary nucleotides. Sequencing by synthesis involves using a single stranded DNA template and using enzymes to make a new complimentary strand alongside it. DNA polymerase is incorporated with a chemiluminescent enzyme that emits light when an added nucleotide compliments the unpaired bases along the DNA strand. The addition/removal of one of Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C) and Guanine (G), (deoxynucleoside triphosphates) results in the light production as the pyrophosphates are released when paired with a complimentary base pair. This process enables the individual sequencing of base pairs on a DNA strand. When PPi is released it is then converted into ATP (or energy) by the enzyme ATP sulfurylase causing light to become visible. The light produced during this reaction is recognised by a camera and then analysed in a pyrogram. The strength of the light emitted also refers to the number of complimentary bonds formed from the reaction in a