This article is written by Azizul Haque. In this piece, he discusses the importance and history of genome sequencing technology. He explains how DNA sequencing carries information related to human physical traits and health, and how it is helping to improve the treatment of viruses and diseases. Additionally, he discusses how Bangladeshi scientists have sequenced the genomes of jute, hilsa fish, and Black Bengal goats.
The Mystery of Life in the Language of Science: Genome Sequence!
Each of us has a life story. In the language of biology, that story is written with only four letters. However, the story written in just four letters is vast in scale. Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), and Thymine (T) — these four nucleotide bases pair up to form every DNA molecule. The complete set of DNA molecules is called the genome. This genome determines our hair color, height, and even our future genetic diseases.
Scientists have been striving to decode this genomic information for the entire 20th century. Their goal was to uncover the sequence of those four bases in DNA. It took almost a hundred years to achieve the first major breakthrough in this quest for sequencing. In 1995, the first successful sequencing came with the complete genome of the influenza virus. After that came bacteria, algae, and finally, in 2003, the human genome was sequenced. But scientists did not stop after decoding the human genome. To create vaccines and medicines that protect us from diseases, researchers continuously sequence the genomes of new plants and animals.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Maxam-Gilbert method was used for DNA sequencing. This method was complex and highly expensive. Due to technological limitations, simpler techniques were yet to be developed. With this process, 250 to 500 base pairs could be sequenced at a time. Just imagine how much time, effort, and money it took scientists to figure out the sequence of three billion base pairs.
Now, however, the most advanced technology, NGS or Next Generation Sequencing, is used for sequencing. This technique allows many reactions to occur simultaneously in parallel, so it takes much less time. Sequencing the human genome cost $100 million in 2001. By 2015, that cost had dropped to just $1,245.
Once the complete sequence of a species is available, an abundance of information is unlocked. Take humans for example: the sequence difference between two people is only 0.1%. But this 0.1% accounts for so many differences between individuals. If this difference did not exist, everyone on Earth would look the same. However, genetic diseases can also hide within this 0.1%. Once a defect in a specific gene is identified, treatment becomes much simpler.
Recently, the panic caused by the coronavirus—how it harms the human body and how it originally emerged from bats—has been understood through genome sequencing. Vaccine development, including how antibodies are produced in the human body, also relies on this methodology. By now, it should be clear why scientists have tirelessly pursued this genome technology for over a hundred years.
Bangladesh, too, has a role in genome sequencing. Scientists from Bangladesh have already sequenced the genomes of jute, hilsa fish, and Black Bengal goats. The question remains: what is the benefit for a developing country like Bangladesh to conduct research with such technology? The benefits are significant. Jute is our native crop. New mutated varieties of jute are being sought that can produce fine threads for weaving cloth. To achieve this, intentional genetic modifications are made. These modified varieties are tested in the field to determine which produces the highest fiber yield. By introducing the desired gene into a developing jute variety, excellent results are achieved. In this way, production can be increased manyfold.
Debates also abound regarding the security of genomic information. We use passwords to secure something as trivial as a mobile phone, so how safe is it to expose the most valuable information of our lives to others? No matter how much controversy exists, it is undeniable that this technology, which allows us to read the four-letter story of life, will continue to advance day by day.
We are truly impressed after reading your wonderful article. The way you have explained the significance and impact of genome sequencing in detail is truly commendable. The perspectives you have presented regarding advances in science and technology, particularly the use and benefits of this technology in Bangladesh, are highly informative and inspiring. Congratulations and thank you for your exceptional work. We look forward to more excellent writings like this in the future.
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