DNA machine can sequence human genomes in hours

Oxford Nanopore has come up with a DNA sequencing machine the size of a USB memory stick that can decode the building blocks of life within hours rather than days

The MinION, a tiny DNA sequencing machine made by a firm spun out of Oxford University. Photograph: Nigel Chapman

A UK firm spun out from Oxford University has come up with a DNA sequencing machine the size of a USB memory stick, a move that is set to revolutionise the industry.

Privately owned Oxford Nanopore, which was spun out of Oxford University in 2005, on Friday presented at a conference in Florida two new generation machines that can do the same job as current mainframe-sized devices, and can decode the building blocks of life within hours rather than days.

Read More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/feb/17/dna-machine-human-sequencing