Nucleic acids that is… in an electrified fluid medium.

The reporter molecules lean into the field, like a bed of kelp.

A CCD camera reads the colors like a barcode, thereby capturing this surreal scene.

The NanoString single-molecule RNA tagging technology was invented at Lee Hood’s Institute for Systems Biology. It is used for gene expression analysis, proteomics, and molecular diagnostics.

5 responses to “Acid Rain in the Matrix”

  1. biotron Avatar
    biotron

    beautiful – like a joyous shower of mini biotron-icons – i can think of nothing lovelier *

    this is bonkers, btw…

    Reply
  2. Todd Huffman Avatar
    Todd Huffman

    Oh thats a clever trick!

    No PCR amplification needed! This would certainly make expression studies more useful, especially for molecules at low copy numbers that are traditionally lost in microarrays.

    I see they are working on microfluidics… it would be interesting to combine this technology with flow-through capabilities from microfluidics…

    Reply
  3. Todd Huffman Avatar
    Todd Huffman

    Oh wait wait wait! How do they tell the orientation of the tags??? The orientation is really important… otherwise you cut your combinatorial advantage in half…

    Or, um, ah! Is that why the electric field?

    I think I answered my own question.

    Reply
  4. Leino88 Avatar
    Leino88

    that’s the same effect i see when my wife slams me over the head with a frying pan.
    😛

    Reply
  5. Krassen Dimitrov Avatar
    Krassen Dimitrov

    oddwick,
    I am glad that you like my nanostrings. You have really captured the essential advantage of the technology: no enzymatic amplification is needed.
    microfluidics was my initial idea, however, that field is too slow to develop. NanoString is now working with a robotics company to get a product.

    Reply

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