![]() The research team at the Centre for Genomic Regulation works with transfer RNA (tRNA), which links a messenger RNA sequence with its corresponding amino acid, ensuring that proteins are stitched together correctly as instructed by DNA. RNA molecules are present in all living cells, with different types of RNA having different jobs. ![]() ![]() So far, the team in Barcelona has worked on the detection of lymphoma, breast and bowel cancers, but the technique is likely to also be useful in detecting other diseases. “This is very affordable technology and so it brings opportunities to take sequencing to the field,” Dr Novoa told The Telegraph.ĭr Novoa noted that, in the case of cancer, it is possible not only to detect its presence, but also how advanced the disease is without a biopsy requiring a laboratory test. The nanopore sequencing machines required for the technique are small, lightweight and can be powered by a laptop or portable battery, making them easy to transport to remote locations and enabling their use in the field or clinic. “Our aim is to further develop this technology and combine it with artificial intelligence tools to determine the malignancy of a biological sample in less than three hours, and at a cost of no more than 50 euros per sample,” said Dr Eva Novoa, senior author of the study and researcher at the Centre for Genomic Regulation. The new technique involves passing RNA molecules through tiny pores in a membrane causing measurable alterations in an electrical current, and it could lead to important advances in diagnosing illnesses in the developing world due to its simplicity. Scientists from Barcelona’s Centre for Genomic Regulation have shown that nanotechnology can be used to analyse ribonucleic acid (RNA) present in ordinary blood samples and detect abnormalities indicating the existence of certain cancers. Researchers in Spain have made a breakthrough that could enable cancer to be detected in a matter of hours using cheap and easy mobile testing kits.
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