Editing DNA sequencing (section)

{{Short description|Process of determining the nucleic acid sequence}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Genetics sidebar}}

'''DNA sequencing''' is the process of determining the [[nucleic acid sequence]] – the order of [[nucleotides]] in [[DNA]]. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: [[adenine]], [[thymine]], [[cytosine]], and [[guanine]]. The advent of rapid DNA sequencing methods has greatly accelerated biological and medical research and discovery.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/introducing-dark-dna-the-phenomenon-that-could-change-how-we-think-about-evolution-82867|title=Introducing 'dark DNA' – the phenomenon that could change how we think about evolution|date=24 August 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Behjati S, Tarpey PS | title = What is next generation sequencing? | journal = Archives of Disease in Childhood: Education and Practice Edition | issue = 6 | pages = 236–8 | date = December 2013 | volume = 98 | pmid = 23986538 | pmc = 3841808 | doi = 10.1136/archdischild-2013-304340 }}</ref>

Knowledge of '''DNA sequences''' has become indispensable for basic biological research, [[Genographic Project|DNA Genographic Projects]] and in numerous applied fields such as [[medical diagnosis]], [[biotechnology]], [[forensic biology]], [[virology]] and biological [[systematics]]. Comparing healthy and mutated DNA sequences can diagnose different diseases including various cancers,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Chmielecki J, Meyerson M | title = DNA sequencing of cancer: what have we learned? | journal = Annual Review of Medicine | volume = 65 | issue = 1 | pages = 63–79 | date = 2014-01-14 | pmid = 24274178 | doi = 10.1146/annurev-med-060712-200152 | doi-access = free }}</ref> characterize antibody repertoire,<ref name=":3" /> and can be used to guide patient treatment.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Pekin D, Skhiri Y, Baret JC, Le Corre D, Mazutis L, Salem CB, Millot F, El Harrak A, Hutchison JB, Larson JW, Link DR, Laurent-Puig P, Griffiths AD, Taly V | display-authors = 6 | title = Quantitative and sensitive detection of rare mutations using droplet-based microfluidics | journal = Lab on a Chip | volume = 11 | issue = 13 | pages = 2156–66 | date = July 2011 | pmid = 21594292 | doi = 10.1039/c1lc20128j }}</ref> Having a quick way to sequence DNA allows for faster and more individualized medical care to be administered, and for more organisms to be identified and cataloged.<ref name=":3" />

The rapid advancements in DNA sequencing technology have played a crucial role in sequencing complete genomes of various life forms, including humans, as well as numerous animal, plant, and microbial species.[[File:Radioactive Fluorescent Seq.jpg|thumbnail|An example of the results of automated chain-termination DNA sequencing]]

The first DNA sequences were obtained in the early 1970s by academic researchers using laborious methods based on [[two-dimensional chromatography]]. Following the development of [[fluorescence]]-based sequencing methods with a [[DNA sequencer]],<ref name=olsvik1993>{{cite journal | vauthors = Olsvik O, Wahlberg J, Petterson B, Uhlén M, Popovic T, Wachsmuth IK, Fields PI | title = Use of automated sequencing of polymerase chain reaction-generated amplicons to identify three types of cholera toxin subunit B in Vibrio cholerae O1 strains | journal = [[J. Clin. Microbiol.]] | volume = 31 | issue = 1 | pages = 22–25 | date = January 1993 | pmid = 7678018 | pmc = 262614 | doi = 10.1128/JCM.31.1.22-25.1993 }}{{open access}}</ref> DNA sequencing has become easier and orders of magnitude faster.<ref name="pmid18992322">{{cite journal | vauthors = Pettersson E, Lundeberg J, Ahmadian A | title = Generations of sequencing technologies | journal = Genomics | volume = 93 | issue = 2 | pages = 105–11 | date = February 2009 | pmid = 18992322 | doi = 10.1016/j.ygeno.2008.10.003 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="Bambara Padmanabhan Wu 1974"/>