• Question: What discovery changed your life the most as a scientist?

    • Keywords:
      • Click on a keyword to find out more on the RSC site:
      Asked by Franci1022 to Daniela ?, ☣ Danna, Jonny, Juan, Lindsay on 15 Jun 2016. This question was also asked by Lucy.
      • Photo: Juan Ortiz

        Juan Ortiz answered on 15 Jun 2016:

        I would say the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). This is a biochemical reaction that allows to make a lot of copies of a sequence of DNA very fast and at a very low cost. This technique allows us to analyse samples of DNA and see if they belong to the same person and this is used for criminal investigation. With PCR I can also know if one person is our biological father/mother. This technique is also used to study the function of a gene since you can copy it and introduce it in another organism or used for other experimental applications. I can’t imagine my life in the lab without PCR.

      • Photo: Jonathan Hunter

        Jonathan Hunter answered on 15 Jun 2016:

        I would say NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy. I use it everyday to see if the molecules are made are the right ones. It can tell you some much about a compound that very few other techniques can.

      • Photo: Daniela Lobo

        Daniela Lobo answered on 15 Jun 2016:

        DNA sequencing – it allows you to know the exact sequence of nucleotides present on a certain DNA molecule. It’s fast and relatively cheap, and indispensable for most molecular biologists (I send my DNA samples to sequencing all the time!). You might have heard of the Human Genome Project (determining the sequence that makes up human DNA and mapping the genes involved) – a large scale DNA sequencing and bioinformatics international scientific project. It can also be used for medical diagnostic purposes and forensic.

      • Photo: Lindsay Robinson

        Lindsay Robinson answered on 15 Jun 2016:

        I’m with Jonny. NMR was a great discovery and is so useful in chemistry. If you take a look at my profile, there’s a photo of an NMR machine in my work photos.

      • Photo: Danna Gifford

        Danna Gifford answered on 16 Jun 2016:

        I agree with Daniela, DNA sequencing technology has changed my life so far the most. It has allowed me to ask questions about how bacteria change at the DNA level that would not have been possible otherwise. Although the near future holds some promise for making this even faster and cheaper, like nanopore technology for DNA sequencing

    Comments