You don’t have to look far to find sensation headlines about the dark side of medical testing in the old days. But great minds like Joseph Lister, who invented antiseptics to sterilize wounds and instruments, helped usher progress forward in the modern age. Surgery is still an extremely risky proposition, which is why so much effort goes into finding drugs to treat a problem rather than attempt surgical removal.
Without advances in medical testing, we would still be hacking away (literally) at our medical problems.
Identification
RNA polymers exist inside of living organisms and certain viruses. RNA polymerase produces a primary transcript RNA, which is like an outline for an organism’s genes. Using advanced technology to probe for these transcripts allows engineers to isolate certain viruses and observe how they affect the body. One technique utilizes fluorescent coloring to track these potentially harmful cells.
It’s important to distinguish harmful cells from the rest of the cells in the human body. Otherwise a cure meant to attack cancer cells would indiscriminately affect the body. Probes can also help improve response times for treatment, especially in parts of the world where medical laboratories are lacking.
Scientists can utilize a small blood sample to identify certain qualities of a disease and design probes around hunting down those cells.
Artificial DNA
DNA polymers can be manufactured artificially, which means that scientists have the necessary enzymes to simulate a reaction. Coupled with a greater understanding of the human genome, the ability to synthesize these artificial reactions will help scientists study the effects that diseases have on human DNA.
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