dna
Sequencing By Synthesis
Machine Vi
e
w
• A n
e
w letter is added, causing
the colour-coded molecule
attached to it to gl
o
w
Each st
r
and bound to the chip is used as a template to
build the complimentary st
r
and, letter
b
y letter, f
r
om
the unbound end of the st
r
and.
• A snapshot is ta
k
en to
r
eco
r
d
the colour
• The gl
o
wing molecule is
r
em
o
ved, and the cycle
r
epeated
W
ait but a
r
e
n
’t the
r
e a lot of st
r
ands on
the chip?
The machine sees each st
r
and as a dot on
the chip
Oh yes! Some sequencers can
r
ead up to
20 BILLION
st
r
ands at once
Tha
t
’s two and a half times the human
population of earth, which is a lot of data
Output Sequence
