Scientists have developed a new smartphone app that can analyze the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 in minutes. The ‘Genopo’ app, described in the journal Communications Biology, makes genetic material more accessible to remote or under-resourced regions, as well as to the hospital bed.
“Not everyone has access to the powerful computing resources needed for DNA and RNA analysis, but most people have access to a smartphone,” said Ira Deveson of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia. “Fast, real-time genomic analysis is more important than ever today as a central method of tracking the spread of the coronavirus. Our app makes genomic analysis more accessible by literally putting the technology in the pockets of scientists around the world, ”said Deveson.
The researchers tested Genopo on the raw sequence data from virus samples isolated from nine Sydney patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. They extracted and amplified the virus RNA from a cotton swab, sequencing the amplified DNA with a MinION sequencer and analyzing the data on a smartphone.
The Genopo app took an average of 27 minutes to determine the full SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence from the raw data, which, according to the researchers, provides the opportunity to perform genomic analysis at the point of concern in real time. The researchers also showed that Genopo can be used to profile DNA methylation – a modification that changes gene activity – in a sample of the human genome.
“This illustrates a flexible, efficient architecture capable of running many popular bioinformatics tools and housing small or large genomes,” said Deveson. “We hope this will make genomics much more accessible for researchers to unlock the information in DNA or RNA for the benefit of human health, including in the current pandemic,” added Deveson.
News Highlights:
- They extracted and amplified the virus RNA from a cotton swab, sequencing the amplified DNA with a MinION sequencer and analyzing the data on a smartphone. The Genopo app took an average of 27 minutes to determine the full SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence from the raw data, which, according to the researchers, provides the opportunity to perform genomic analysis at the point of concern in real time.
- New smartphone app analyzes coronavirus genome in minutes
