A research team led by Professor Kwang S. Kim of Chemistry Department succeeded in developing an innovative DNA base sequences analysis method which can decode thirty billion gene sets in an hour.
The research, published online in Nature Nanotechnology on Feb. 6, proved an ultraspeed DNA analysis method which measures the two-dimensional electronic conductivity caused by the interaction between graphene nanoribbons and DNA bases.
Previously, it took more than a few weeks to decode DNA sequences. However, the new method makes it available to decode the entire human genome in one hour.
 According to the research team, when DNA passes through nano-channels, each base sticks to the surface of nanoribbons for a few microseconds and comes apart from it successively. This makes difference to the conductivity of graphene and differentiates four kinds of bases.
Prof. Kim expressed further relevance of this research by suggesting that “It will move up the post genome era, which brings about whole new differences to our lives. When the high-speed, low-cost DNA analysis method is realized, it will be possible to analyze diverse bio-information and to provide customized medical care.”