• Question: What are some of the techniques that you use, to determine the gene codes of the hepatitis C. virus?

    Asked by to Ditte on 17 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Ditte Hedegaard

      Ditte Hedegaard answered on 17 Jun 2014:


      Hello there!

      Thank you for the question. One of the techniques I use for determine the gene codes for hepatitis C virus is called Sanger sequencing, which was invented in 1977 by a guy called Frederick Sanger.

      During Sanger sequencing a copy of the hepatitis C virus genes are made from building blocks called nucleotides. The four different nucleotides (adenine, guanine, thymine and cytosine) make up the genetic code for all genes, even our own. Some of the nucleotides used in Sanger sequencing have a fluorescent colour attached to them and when these nucleotide becomes incorporated into the copy gene the copying process stops and a camera registers the fluorescent colour. Several gene-copying processes are carried out for the same gene and because the fluorescent nucleotides stop the process at different places in the gene, the copy genes will have different lengths. The camera will register the fluorescent nucleotide of all these gene copies and a computer program will then put the length of the copied genes in order, starting with the shortest, and make a note of the fluorescent colour at the end of each gene copy. This way it will slowly build up a long line of gene codes consisting of the four nucleotides.

      You can watch a video about the technique here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK-HlMaitnE.

      I also use a technique called next-generation sequencing, which is the latest form of sequencing. With this process I can find the genetic code for 1 million genes in one reaction!

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