DNA sequencing

British  

noun

1. the procedure of determining the order of base pairs in a section of DNA

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DNA sequencing Scientific  

1. The determination of the sequence of nucleotides in a sample of DNA.

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DNA sequencing Cultural  

1. A process by which the sequence of nucleotides along a strand of DNA is determined. Originally a difficult process to carry out, DNA sequencing can now be done routinely by machines. The completion of the Human Genome Project in 2000 produced the largest DNA sequence ever assembled. To carry out the sequencing of the human genome, scientists cut the DNA up into short fragments, sequenced these fragments simultaneously, and then assembled the entire genome by using sophisticated computer techniques to match the fragments to each other.

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Many believe that knowledge of the human genome will lead to enormous advances in medicine. (Compare gene mapping and DNA fingerprinting.)