Technologies of Genomics

Genomics is defined as the study of genes and their functions. It can be broadly divided into the following areas - functional genomics, structural genomics, comparative genomics, epigenomics, and pharmacogenomics. This is aimed at understanding and mapping the genetic code and understanding the interplay of genes, mRNA and proteins, and the environment in causing diseases.

A few years earlier, the technologies of genomics included DNA cloning, protein structure analysis, DNA sequencing, DNA synthesis, polymerase chain reaction to amplify DNA and transgenic animals. Now, with the advancement in these techniques, more automated technologies have been added to this list. The new advances in the technologies in genomics include molecular cytogenetics, genome comparison techniques, mass spectrophotometry, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and microarray technology.

Molecular cytogenetics and Fluorescent in situ hybridization can provide information about the organization of genes and enable researchers to localize and detect abnormalities in the chromosomes, such as rearrangements, deletions, that alter the cells and cause genome instability.

Genome comparison techniques allow geneticists to highlight and understand the difference between different genomes and the regions that are conserved. Analyzing vertebrate and mammalian genomes can give insightful information about the common genes and gene regulation.

Mass spectrophotometry is a useful technique for analyzing the chemical structures of molecules and compounds. This is essential for sequence confirmation, characterization of proteins, peptides and oligonucleotides, and also to verify amino acid substitutions in proteins that cause diseases.

SNP are single nucleotide variations in the DNA that occur in the population. Usually a particular SNP allele is more common in a population group and can be found both in the coding and non-coding DNA sequences. These variations in the DNA sequences can be indicative of how humans respond to environmental factors as well as to pathogens and diseases, and thus aid in medical treatment by providing personalized therapy.

Transgenic technology is used to transfer DNA molecules from one organism to another to create a new set of genes. This is done to identify the function and regulation of these pieces of coding DNA. This is widely used in biological and medical research, gene therapy, and even agriculture. This is an important technique for phenotypic testing, effect of genetic changes on development and has proved useful in the production of hormones, such as insulin.

Microarray technology is now commonly used in molecular biology and medicine. The principle of microarray technology is based on the complementary base pairing between fragments of DNA and mRNA or between two DNA strands. This technology can be used to detect the changes in expression levels, presence of SNPs, comparative genomic hybridization, chromatin immunoprecipitation (detection of DNA bound to protein), and other uses.

These advancements in genomic technologies are being used in research as well as various areas, such as medical diagnostics, therapeutics, and genetic profiling. With more insight into the human genetic code and the knowledge about disease-causing genes, it will be possible to predict and treat people predisposed to certain diseases with a better rate of success.

Shawn Riley
HealthTechnica.com
http://www.healthtechnica.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_E_Riley
http://EzineArticles.com/?Technologies-of-Genomics&id=4630254