Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Biomolecule Test Could Bring Diagnostics to the Bedside
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THURSDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- An inexpensive technique to screen for millions of different biomolecules -- such as proteins, RNA and DNA -- in a single sample has been developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers. This technology could lead to the development of low-cost medical diagnostic tests at patients'' bedsides and could also be used for genetic profiling, disease monitoring and drug discovery, the scientists said. A paper on the research is published in the March 9 issue of the journal Science. This technique uses tiny customizable particles (thinner than the width of a human hair) that are each equipped with a barcoded ID and one or more probe regions that turn fluorescent when they detect specific biomolecules in a sample, the scientists explained. They said they can custom produce a "virtually unlimited" range of particles to test for millions of different biomolecules. More information MedLinePlus has more about different kinds of diagnostic tests.
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