• Question: what does 'sequencing' involve - how is it done?

    Asked by missingunicorn to Anna on 12 Mar 2014.
    • Photo: Anna Middleton

      Anna Middleton answered on 12 Mar 2014:

      Hi @missingunicorn
      ‘Sequencing’ is the process of unravelling DNA and looking to see what it is made up of. If you do this then you can compare the DNA from one person with another and work out how they are different. This helps you to see when there are bits missing, turned around or repeated. Once you know this then you can look at the features of the person who gave the DNA sample and see if you can link any of these to the changes you have seen in the DNA. We are doing this at the moment with disabled kids who have ‘developmental disorders’. We sequence their DNA to find areas that have strange changes in them, see if these are part of certain genes or not and then match these changes to the phsical characteristics in the child.This is how you ‘diagnose’ the genetic condition in the child. More explanations here: http://www.ddduk.org

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