MinION portable device for DNA sequencing made by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, 2022.

MinION portable sequencer, for real-time DNA and RNA sequencing, made by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, 2022.

This pocket-sized, portable DNA sequencer made by Oxford Nanopore Technologies is able to read long strands of DNA and RNA and report the sequence of bases that make up those molecules in real time. Inside the sequencer is a flow cell covered in tiny holes or ‘nanopores’ 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Each nanopore is connected to a sensor, which measures the electric current that flows through it. As strands of DNA zip through the nanopores, they detect differences between each DNA base – G,T,A or C – producing an electrical signal unique to each. Decoding the pattern of signals produces the sequence. This ‘fourth generation’ DNA sequencing technology can give a more complete genomic picture, including reading the complex parts of our genome that might be linked to disease. An individual’s genome could be read in hours rather than in days or weeks, accelerating diagnosis and treatment.