Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Sub : Science and tech

Sec: Health

Tag: Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Context:

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 33,000 new incidences of brain cancer happen each year in India alone, while Global Cancer Observatory 2020 estimates brain cancer as the 19th most common type of cancer.

Key Highlights:

A DNA mutation can change how our cells grow and function, sometimes leading to cancer.
Research suggests that there are close to 3,000 such cancer-causing genes.
With each gene containing thousands of DNA codes, and each code potentially holding vital information about cancer development, the sheer volume of data analysis for a human can become quite overwhelming.
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) which is a cutting-edge technology that is potentially transforming our ability to decipher the genetic code with speed and precision.
The Human Genome Project officially began in 1990 and was completed in 2003, taking about 13 years to finish, at a cost of about $3 billion.

About Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS):

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a modern DNA sequencing technology that has revolutionized genomic research by allowing the sequencing of DNA and RNA much more quickly and cheaply than the previously used Sanger sequencing.
The concept of a liquid biopsy is a revolutionary technique that offers a less invasive alternative to surgery.

Advantages of NGS:

Speed: Enables rapid sequencing of large amounts of DNA/RNA.
Cost-Effective: Lower cost per base compared to traditional sequencing methods.
Comprehensive: Can detect a wide range of genetic variations, including SNPs, insertions, deletions, and structural variations.
Scalability: Can be scaled to fit a variety of experimental needs, from small targeted studies to large genome-wide analyses.

About Human Genome Project:

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international scientific research project with the goal of determining the base pairs that make up human DNA, and of identifying, mapping and sequencing all of the genes of the human genome from both a physical and a functional standpoint.
It started in 1990 and was completed in 2003.
It remains the world’s largest collaborative biological project.

About DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix.
The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses.
DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are nucleic acids.
Alongside proteins, lipids and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides), nucleic acids are one of the four major types of macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life.
The two DNA strands are known as polynucleotides as they are composed of simpler monomeric units called nucleotides.
Each nucleotide is composed of one of four nitrogen-containing nucleobases (cytosine [C], guanine [G], adenine [A] or thymine [T]), a sugar called deoxyribose, and a phosphate group.