Lots of makers sent this in today, a $10 DNA replicator… Ben writes –
A pocket-sized device that runs on two AA batteries and copies DNA as accurately as expensive lab equipment has been developed by researchers in the US. The device has no moving parts and costs just $10 to make. It runs polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), to generate billions of identical copies of a DNA strand, in as little as 20 minutes. This is much faster than the machines currently in use, which take several hours.
Mini DNA replicator could benefit world’s poor – health – 01 May 2007 – New Scientist – Link.
12 thoughts on “$10 DNA replicator”
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Is there anyone with schematics for this thing? Or are they available somewhere?
There’s this paper if you can get it.
These things are amazing! My DNA replicators cost a whole helluva lot more than $10, they only replicate half my DNA and even that takes years to achieve any discernible results.
This PDF will give you some more details about the construction of the device.
Remember, this is just getting hot and cold and hot and cold. In the early days of DNA replication they did it by moving the sample from water bath to water bath. Cheap? Yes. Royal pain? Yes.
This won’t be sequencing anything for you and you’re still going to need all the primers and stuff, none of which is what you’d call cheap.
Umm, OK this thing is not sterile or RNA/DNA free and you pipet directly into the machine so basically its useless for any sort of diagnostic PCR, cloning or any other PCR application I can think of. Contamination is always the biggest issue with this assay as it is very sensitive, still I think its a neat concept and if they manage to make their convective circuit replaceble so they can be manufactured DNA free then that would be cool, although I’m not sure how you’d run the appropriate controls(No DNA etc) with a single cell.