
First DNA Sequencing in Space a Game Changer - Osiris30
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/dna_sequencing
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dekhn
I cringe to think how much money was put into putting a sequencer in space
just to make a press release. This science behind this just isn't that
valuable.

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smb06
From the article: "A space-based DNA sequencer would be an important tool to
help protect astronaut health during long duration missions on the journey to
Mars, and future explorers could also potentially use the technology to
identify DNA-based life forms beyond Earth."

I would say any amount of money is worth that. This is an extremely valuable
research to let us understand more about life in space.

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dekhn
yes, I too know how to write vacuous PR. You don't need sequencers to protect
astronaut health - Sequencing for medical tech on earth is barely valuable. At
best, you might be able to identify a particular type of cancer, and treat it
better - if you filled your precious cargo with a bunch of different
anticancer pharmaceuticals.

As for using a DNA sequencer to identify DNA-based life forms beyond Earth:
that's one of the stupidest ideas that Craig Venter has ever proposed. We have
zero prior data saying that alien life contains DNA. Instead, you'd use basic
chemistry techniques _first_.

Nothing is worth "any money". We have finite budgets. Sequencers provide only
marginal scientific data.

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new299
In particular, this was a sequencer that doesn't work particularly well even
on Earth...

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dekhn
I doubt an Illumina would work in 0g, but you'd test that in a microgravity
environment anyway since it costs far less.

