Thursday, 14th July 2005 (4633 views)

Research from China has revealed that the use of gold nanoparticles can benefit modern genetic testing.

Six scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University carried out experiments using gold nanoparticles, finding that the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) works more efficiently in their presence.

PCR forms the basis of modern genetic testing methods and DNA analysis.

The research, sponsored by the state-owned R&D organization, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that the presence of gold nanoparticles yields fewer errors in PCR.

It is hoped that geneticists will therefore be able to use smaller DNA samples from the commencement of their research, making it more efficient and accurate.

In May, research at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California at San Francisco suggested that binding gold nanoparticles to a specific antibody for cancer cells could make cancer detection much easier.

 

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