DNA based diagnostics 2.0
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 - 08:00
in Biology & Nature
The latest generation of DNA sequencers allows all the genes of a plant, as well as any pathogens present, to be charted literally within a few days. "This provides unprecedented opportunities for the diagnosis of plant diseases, as well as, for example, identifying and tracking new disease outbreaks," says Dr Theo van der Lee, senior scientist at the Department of Bio-Interactions and Plant Health at Plant Research International. "We can now detect pathogens directly from infected plant material, usually without having to guess in advance which bacterium, fungus or virus is the culprit."