You walk into a bar and see a guy sequencing a genome. This is no joke! It’s a recent installment of CSHL’s monthly Cocktails & Chromosomes series at Industry bar in Huntington, NY. Listen in as Jason Williams from CSHL’s DNA Learning Center showcases mobile DNA sequencing for a live audience. And hear what this newfound portability means for science education.
Read the related story: Genome sequencing goes mobile at DNALC
Transcript
Caroline Cosgrove: You’re now At the Lab with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. My name is Caroline Cosgrove, and this week At the Lab: “DNA sequencing for all.”
CC: For decades, scientists have studied DNA, the foundation of life, using a technique called sequencing. This process analyzes the genetic code of an organism by determining the order of its DNA bases: G, A, T, and C.
CC: Now, imagine being able to sequence DNA yourself right in the palm of your hand. Thanks to new, portable sequencing technology, anyone can learn about DNA!
CC: That includes the folks at Cocktails & Chromosomes, our monthly science talk hosted at Industry bar in Huntington, New York. This January, we had a full house of locals eager to witness the sequencing of brewer’s yeast live on stage.
CC: Our on-stage sequencer was Jason Williams. He’s the Assistant Director of Diversity and Research Readiness at CSHL’s Dolan DNA Learning Center—the world’s first science center dedicated to genetics education. Williams used a palm-sized sequencing device from Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
Jason Williams: Using the techniques of molecular biology, we can put DNA onto this surface, a little enzyme guides the DNA to the pore, and the pore sucks it down. And as it’s going through the little hole, it’s creating minute disturbances in the electric charge that’s being measured.
CC: The device then translates these electric charges into DNA sequences.
CC: Today, DNA sequencing technology is cheaper, simpler, and more accessible than ever. That means more people can learn about DNA, whether they’re high school students here in America or in remote locations across the globe.
JW: You could imagine somebody in a rural area whether it’s in the U.S., whether it’s in Africa, whether it’s somewhere else. The ability for people who might have questions, which they need to know something about DNA to answer, for that to be portable to almost any location is really, really important.
CC: Thanks for listening to At the Lab. Please subscribe to get another fascinating story like this delivered each week. You can also find us online at cshl.edu and on all social media platforms. For Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, I’m Caroline Cosgrove, and I’ll see you next time At the Lab.