By George M. Church
ESI Special Topics,
June 2006
Citing URL - http://www.esi-topics.com/fbp/2006/june06-GeorgeMChurch.html
|
George M. Church answers a
few questions about this month's fast breaking paper in
the Multidisciplinary field.
From
•>>June 2006
Field:
Multidisciplinary
Article Title: Accurate multiplex polony sequencing of an evolved bacterial genome
Authors: Shendure, J;Porreca, GJ;Reppas, NB;Lin, XX;McCutcheon, JP;Rosenbaum, AM;Wang, MD;Zhang, K;Mitra,
RD;Church, GM
Journal: SCIENCE
Volume: 309
Issue: 5741
Page: 1728-1732
Year: SEP 9 2005
* Harvard Univ, Sch Med, Dept Genet, Boston, MA 02115 USA.
* Harvard Univ, Sch Med, Dept Genet, Boston, MA 02115 USA.
* Washington Univ, Dept Genet, St Louis, MO 63110 USA.
* Washington Univ, Howard Hughes Med Inst, St Louis, MO 63110 USA.
|
 Why
do you think your paper is highly cited?
|
“This paper is an example of what NIH calls 'revolutionary, next-generation
sequencing'.”
|
|
Yesterday’s genome projects have created an appetite for
sequencing tomorrow, not easily handled by today’s technology.
This paper is an example of what NIH calls "revolutionary,
next-generation sequencing." In addition, this paper is one
of the first to show the power of lab evolution—coupled to
high-accuracy, whole-genome analysis.
Does
it describe a new discovery, methodology, or synthesis of
knowledge?
This is about a method (or a few), but also about an attitude
(of long-term technology commitment). The basic concepts of
molecular multiplexing using "tags" for "genomic
sequencing" has been around since our 1984 PNAS
paper and the idea of molecular clones since the 1970s, but
making a cell-free, electrophoresis-free, cloning and sequencing
method that works well took a lot of new ideas.
Could
you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?
Low-cost, high-accuracy genomes are arriving. We don’t have
to wait for giant companies to create new technology or for
giant centers to use it.
How
did you become involved in this research, and were any problems
encountered along the way?
Start with an obsession with RNA & DNA structure in
college and with getting everyone (who wants it) their own
genome, add 30 years of trial-and-error, and a great community
of like-minded folks and we’re almost there.
Are
there any social or political implications for your research?
This enables the sequel to the Human Genome Project (HGP),
the Personal Genome Project (PGP). Since DNA is increasingly
"identifying," it may be wise to consent human
subjects with clearer statements of the likely openness of their
genomic data.
View a graphic
of "Polony Sequencing Equipment".
George M. Church
Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
MIT Health Sciences & Technology
Director of the Lipper Center for Computational Genetics
MIT-Harvard DOE Genomes to Life Center
NIH Center for Excellence in Genomic Science
Boston, MA, USA
|
| Related
Links: |
|
• |
Personal
Genome Project |
|
All external sites will open in a new browser.
The Thomson Corporation and esi-topics.com does not endorse external sites.
|
|
|
ESI Special Topics,
June 2006
Citing URL - http://www.esi-topics.com/fbp/2006/june06-GeorgeMChurch.html
|
|
|
