The Wall Street Journal takes a close look at next-gen DNA sequencers from Illumina. More precise than microarrays, the cutting edge technology is expected to help spawn advances in both diagnostics and research.

The new technology provides a much clearer picture of gene expression-a key link to understanding cancer and other diseases. "If we could look at what proteins a cancer cell is making, it would be a much clearer and more precise signature of that type of cancer," said Jonathan Weissman, a University of California, San Francisco.

The use of these DNA sequencers, as explained in an article in Science, has already upset some common assumptions about the way DNA is turned into proteins. And with the added clarity the technology is adding in labs, a transition to studying mammal cells is expected to unveil even more surprises ahead.

- read the article in the Wall Street Journal

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