Just 10 years after the first human genome was drafted, DNA sequencing has transformed the way we tackle serious diseases. By looking at individual genes and targeting their proteins with relevant antibodies, we have gained a far clearer understanding of how the body works at a molecular level, and the complex ways in which things can go wrong. As we delve further into these protein pathways, so the relevant antibody catalog are updated too.
DNA sequencing, the method of determining the order of the nucleotide bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) within the DNA molecule, is at the forefront of antibody research. Once we know the sequence of nucleotides, we can locate regulatory gene sequences, compare homologous genes from different species and identify mutations that might cause diseases such as cancer.
In 1974 Sanger, developed a method of DNA sequencing that has become the standard. Mimicking the natural process of DNA replication, Sanger sequencing involves the use of both normal nucleotides and dideoxynucleotides (ddNTPs) which substitute a hydrogen group for a hydroxyl group on the 3’ carbon. This modification terminates chain elongation at whatever point it is inserted, allowing the DNA sequence to be read, using a 4-fluorescent dye technique.
Sanger sequencing allows long base chains to be read, but only in one region at a time. In 2007, a revolutionary “next generation” sequencing technique was devised, which allowed many hundreds of genes or genomic regions to be read simultaneously. We at Novus Biologicals have an extensive antibody database, and many of our clients now use next-gen gene sequencing when selecting their antibodies.
