Intensity of glow indicates level of genetic match;
potentially useful for identifying microbes, harmful agents, and more
Using principles of energy transfer more commonly applied to
designing solar cells, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven
National Laboratory have developed a new highly sensitive way to detect
specific sequences of DNA, the genetic material unique to every living thing.
As described in a paper published in the journal Chemistry of Materials, the
method is considerably less costly than other DNA assays and has widespread
potential for applications in forensics, medical diagnostics, and the detection
of bioterror agents.