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GeneBalls:
barcoding DNA
Millions of genetic tests using just one drop of blood
 Queensland
PhD student Angus Johnston has invented a unique technology with the potential
to test for hundreds of diseases, cancers and genes in one, cheap, test. He
hopes that within five years the technology will be available in a desktop unit
for less than $30,000.
“This is a unique, patented technology
that has the potential to revolutionise genetic testing,” said Angus Johnston,
PhD student and co-inventor of the technology.
“A simple machine could be installed
in a doctor’s surgery which would give almost instantaneous feedback on which
diseases the patient is susceptible.”
GeneBalls would not only help
diagnosing cancer and other diseases, but also give an early warning for
diseases like heart disease. With this early warning the patient can make
lifestyle changes before any symptoms occur.
Geneballs can currently look at 12
genes in one test, but in the next 12 months we plan to increase this number to
tens or hundreds of thousands. The existing technology, is too expensive and
inaccurate for clinical applications.
It’s been an exciting journey for the
student researcher. “I’ve had the opportunity to do a PhD that’s led to direct
commercial outcomes,” says Angus. “It's exciting to do the research and see it
turn into two international patents and
a shareholding in a company which is commercialising the technology.”
GeneBalls are tiny particles one tenth
the diameter of a human hair and work like a barcode on items in a supermarket.
Each tiny bead contains a mixture of fluorescent dyes and is coated with DNA.
If a patient has DNA the same as DNA on one of the GeneBalls, their DNA will
stuck to the GeneBall
Angus is one
of 15 Fresh Scientists presenting their research to the public for the first
time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program hosted by the State Library of
Victoria.
 For
photos go to
www.freshscience.org
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