David Cox, a North Carolina State University Ph.D. student in Computer Science, has devised a "symbolic scatter plot" tool that can help researchers more easily identify minute changes in DNA patterns that can lead to genetic disorders. The tool translates DNA sequences into graphic images - and enables researchers to distinguish genetic patterns more quickly and efficiently than is currently possible with computers.

Cox explains, "The human visual system is more adept at identifying patterns, and differentiating between patterns, than existing computer programs such as those that try to identify repetitions of DNA sequences."

Identifying patterns in a sequence of DNA is important because it can help researchers identify the minute genetic variations between subjects that suffer from a disease, such as cancer, and subjects that do not. "Improved identification of relevant DNA sequences will hopefully expedite the development of successful treatment for a range of diseases," Cox says, "by allowing researchers to focus on the components of DNA that are related to the disease and improving our understanding of the genetic mechanisms of these diseases. For example, what turns specific genes on and off?"

For more details about the development, visit the official release:

http://news.ncsu.edu/news/2009/05/wmscoxdna1.php