Prof. Shankar Balasubramanian (University of Cambridge & Cambridge Research Institute, UK)
Sequencing Nucleic Acids: From Chemistry to Life Sciences and Medicine
Abstract
The sequence, structure, chemistry and function of nucleic acids are fundamental to our understanding of life. In this lecture I will describe the invention of a method to accurately determine the sequence of DNA at high speed and low cost on a genome scale. The approach, originally called Solexa (now Illumina) sequencing, has brought about a quantum leap in our ability to study biology and is poised to potentially revolutionise the future of medicine. I will discuss, with examples from my laboratory, how the methodology has provided new insights into four-stranded DNA structures (G-quadruplexes), the targeting of DNA with drugs and epigenetic chemical modification of the human genome. I will also discuss examples of how routine human genome sequencing will shape the future of molecular medicine.
References
- Balasubramanian, S. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50 (52), 12406-12410.
- Balasubramanian, S. Chem. Commun. 2011, 47 (26), 7281-7286.
- Bentley, D. R.; Balasubramanian, S.; Swerdlow, H. P.; et al. Nature 2008, 456, 53- 59.
- Rodriguez et al. Nat. Chem. Biol. In press 2012.
