DIY Gene testing

[Guest jago25_98]

Let's say I wanted to test for gene activation at home using DIY kit!

 

Is it impossible because the equipment costs millions? Even if it does cost millions how does that equipment work?

 

What can I get started on this subject?

[zyncod]

Do you mean gene sequencing? Because you could do that at home for a couple hundred bucks.

1. Ethanol, phenol:chloroform, isopropanol, centrifuge for isolating DNA

2. Taq polymerase, primers, hot plates (ie, water baths) for PCR reaction

3. Self-made electrophoresis rig, methylene blue, agarose for PCR product separation

4. BigDye kit, hot plates for sequencing reaction

5. Send sequencing reactions off to sequencing firm (ie, Sequetech)

You can get the centrifuge, the electrophoresis rig, and a PCR machine to replace the hot plates (if you don't want to make these yourself) at labx.com. You can get the other stuff from various companies.

Ethanol, phenol:chloroform, isopropanol: maybe $40-50

Taq mastermix: $100

Primers:$50

Agarose, methylene blue: $100

BigDye: $400

[aaronmyung]

whats gene sequencing? Sounds like a lot of fun.

[rakuenso]

gene sequencing doesn't really get you anywhere. The only thing for you right now it can do is tell you how horribly messed up your genes are. Because it is virtually impossible to fix our genes due to the sheer number of different cells our bodies possess. However, if you were a simple blastocyst you would appreciate it a lot more because genetic therapy is much simpler in the pre-maturation stages.

[Xavier]

Jago mentioned gene activation, for which he will wnt to detect the presense of a specific mRNA in a specific type of cell. 'DIY' kits are certainly possible - there are people in my research group working on detection of mRNA though the equipment will cost thousands. The problems are in getting hold of the cell and keeping everything sterile as RNA is very labile. Micro-scale integrated devices that are sealed, single use units are the 'next big thing' at the molecular biology/nanotechnology interface and they will soon be giving genetic diagnoses while you wait.

 

My own project is aiming at a device for interrogating genomic DNA for diagnosis of congenital defects in a disposable package that a General Practitioner could use while the patient is visiting a clinic, though there will still be a sizable capital cost for the detection equipment.

 

Once the market for such devices has matured, it may be possible to package the device and electrochemical detection and processing along with a microfluidic pre analytical module to sieve and process a blood spot. For perhaps $100 you could then buy a box like a pregnancy test kit to tell whether you will suffer from cystic fibrosis or Huntingdons disease or whether you are predisposed to cardiac problems of Alzheimers disease. Someone will probably try to sell a test for predisposition towards homosexuality!