Science is moving from an age in which researchers can sequence genomes, to one in which doctors can use them in developing individual treatments. But one hurdle along the way will be developing the ability to analyze individual DNA molecules, which is currently very difficult.
Tiny Philadelphia start-up BioNanomatrix, a spinoff of Princeton University, aims to change that. Flush with two sizeable new grants received in September, it's developing a technology that would sort chromosomes and guide their DNA into a maze of nanoscale channels. There, the molecules could be imaged and analyzed individually.
"Today it's a bit of an esoteric art to spread chromosomes out on a slide" for analysis, says company CEO and president Michael Boyce-Jacino. "The idea that you could put it into a device ...
