By Jo Best, 3 October 2003 17:05
NEWS The entire human genome – all 30,000 genes of it - can now be fitted onto a single computer chip. The chip was developed by Affymetrix, a Californian biotech company. It will allow scientists to conduct gene research faster than before and is significantly less costly than its predecessors. Affymetrix had made a chip set for the same purpose some years ago, but it needed two chips to cover the whole genome. The chip will allow scientists to discover which genes are 'active' – an important step forward in disease research - and orders for the £180 product are being taken now. The father of human gene research, Sir John Sulston, has made it onto silicon.com's Agenda Setters top 50 most influential figures in tech. To find out more about the winners and losers and where key industry figures rate Sulston, visit our Agenda Setters microsite.
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