Several patients have to wait for more than a few weeks to get results of genome sequencing. Such tests are usually conducted to identify genetic diseases, and it is done by analyzing the DNA. By understanding the specific mutation of the DNA, doctors will provide suitable treatment for the patient. The wait time is very high even with advanced technology. However, a new method developed by international scientists has made it possible to get results in a few hours.
Genome Sequencing Results Available In A Few Hours
Under normal circumstances, it takes a lot of time as conventional methods of genome sequencing analyze the entire DNA of the patient. In this way, inherited diseases can be easily found, and suitable treatment can be provided at the right stage to avoid complications. By reducing the wait time, rapid genetic diagnostics can help many patients.
The biggest advantage of getting results quickly is that patients can move out of critical care units in a short duration of time. The new method provided results within the same day, and the fastest diagnosis gave the results in about eight hours. In this way, a lesser number of tests are required, and patients can spend less time in hospitals. Even though the results are given in quick time, the scientists assure that accuracy is not compromised in any manner.
Genome sequencing helps doctors identify rare diseases, which are often diagnosed at the last stages. With advanced DNA sequencing methods, it is now possible to screen more patients in a short interval of time.
The team that developed the rapid genome sequencing method worked hard to bring in a lot of changes to the conventional system. They had to revamp the entire hardware setup as it was not fast enough to complete the process in a quick time. Apart from that, the team also got a customized setup done to process the DNA simultaneously in multiple systems. In this way, they ended up creating a lot of data that was difficult to handle in a small server. They had to opt for cloud-based data backup so that the storage needs could be addressed in real-time without any hassles.
The team also used sophisticated algorithms to scan the genetic code for errors, and this is how they can identify the appropriate cells that cause the disease. Once they receive the complete data about such rare health conditions, it is compared with other similar cases to know more about the disease.
The scientists used the long-read sequencing approach in order to complete the process in a short duration of time. The method was not used earlier due to the lack of hardware to support the sequencing. Apart from providing the results in quick time, this method also improves the accuracy by some margin as the entire sequence of DNA is scanned during the process.
There is also the cost factor involved in adopting these methods as getting results in quick time means that it is going to be expensive. Such diagnosis is used when regular methods are not able to find the exact cause for the disease. In some cases, the specific errors in the DNA of the patient are the cause of all health problems. When such genetic mutations are identified, doctors will find easy answers to use the suitable treatment method.
The new method is already gaining a lot of attention, and many experts are excited to know about the diagnosis. The entire perception that genetic tests take a few weeks time will change in the near future with the emergence of the rapid sequencing method.
