The following is an edited excerpt.
Sometimes a concept is simple but the tech behind it is not. This is the case with a new approach to identifying new viruses, which could ultimately lead to screening patients for viruses that haven’t even been identified.
Researchers at Saint Louis University are using the next-gen sequencing approach transcriptome subtraction, and it really does employ basic arithmetic — with very fancy tools. They take a human blood sample. Then they subtract the entire human genetic sequence from the genetic material in the sample. Then they study what remains, thus enabling them to identify previously unknown viral genetic data.
Read the full story here: New tech can detect even viruses yet to be discovered
