A small chip, similar to a computer chip, is being developed for use in testing people for a wide range of genetic information.
This chip, being developed by Xiaolian Gao, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Houston, will be able to test a person's genetic disposition for certain diseases or conditions.
\We have put thousands of strands of DNA onto a chip that can screen for the genes linked to breast cancer, cystic fibrosis or prostate cancer, for example,"" Gao said. ""This highly parallel technology allows us to do thousands or tens of thousands of experiments all at once.""
The chip uses micromirrors, which project tiny light patterns, less than the diameter of a human hair, onto a DNA chip the size of a postage stamp. The light hitting the chip causes certain reactions, allowing the scientists to see what genetic disposition one has.
