04-27-2014, 06:18 AM
rob, unsure how serious you are, but assuming seriousness...
thats not a bad idea, and these device(s) do exist, just not in a hand held cheap version like a stud finder.
to begin you would need a sample of the DNA from whatever organism you were examining ... lets say Papaya. Next you would need an array of scientific equipment (a whole working lab at the very least) not least of which being a 'DNA engine' and a 'gel electrophoresis apparatus'
the DNA engine performs a task called the polymerase chain reaction and is essentially a very expensive and advanced peltier device. this engine goes through thermal cycling repeatedly raising and lowering the temperature of the sample as a means of amplifying the DNA, through the use of primers which are targeting specific loci in the DNA strand of the sample you originally took from the papaya. after you have amplified the DNA you would use a gel electrophoresis kit to analyze the genetic fingerprinting to determine the presence of the targeted transgene- in this case the PRSV (papaya ring spot virus) resistance gene.
the above is an extremely simplified explanation of identifying the presence of a transgene in an organism.
hopefully from reading you have a better understanding of why this would be/is so complicated you would first have to know A. the specific transgene for every transgenic crop being tested - this is different for every crop and B. the primers necessary to identify the loci (location) of a specific targeted gene and also different for every crop.
i think it would be handy, especially for those that don't trust even labels...but what you are talking about is quite far off...you are basically asking that a state of the art laboratory be miniaturized to fit in the palm of your hand...no judgement here I doubt anyone but those who have actually worked with transgenic organisms would probably know any of this.
aloha mai kakou
thats not a bad idea, and these device(s) do exist, just not in a hand held cheap version like a stud finder.
to begin you would need a sample of the DNA from whatever organism you were examining ... lets say Papaya. Next you would need an array of scientific equipment (a whole working lab at the very least) not least of which being a 'DNA engine' and a 'gel electrophoresis apparatus'
the DNA engine performs a task called the polymerase chain reaction and is essentially a very expensive and advanced peltier device. this engine goes through thermal cycling repeatedly raising and lowering the temperature of the sample as a means of amplifying the DNA, through the use of primers which are targeting specific loci in the DNA strand of the sample you originally took from the papaya. after you have amplified the DNA you would use a gel electrophoresis kit to analyze the genetic fingerprinting to determine the presence of the targeted transgene- in this case the PRSV (papaya ring spot virus) resistance gene.
the above is an extremely simplified explanation of identifying the presence of a transgene in an organism.
hopefully from reading you have a better understanding of why this would be/is so complicated you would first have to know A. the specific transgene for every transgenic crop being tested - this is different for every crop and B. the primers necessary to identify the loci (location) of a specific targeted gene and also different for every crop.
i think it would be handy, especially for those that don't trust even labels...but what you are talking about is quite far off...you are basically asking that a state of the art laboratory be miniaturized to fit in the palm of your hand...no judgement here I doubt anyone but those who have actually worked with transgenic organisms would probably know any of this.
aloha mai kakou