<p>Scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently developed new techniques to detect viral infections apart from detecting viral infection, the technique also help full in a killing of cancer cells.</p><p>The technique is protein based which detect particular DNA responsible in triggering effects like cell death and viral infections.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.microbiozindia.com/images/Start%20Subscribing.png" alt="" /></p><h2>According to researcher:</h2><p>&amp;quot;There is a range of applications for which this could be important,&amp;quot; says James Collins, the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering and Science in MIT&#039;s Department of Biological Engineering and Institute of Medical Engineering and Science (IMES). &amp;quot;This allows you to readily design constructs that enable a programmed cell to both detect DNA and act on that detection, with a reporting system and/or a responding system.&amp;quot;</p><p>The technique is published on Sept. 21 Nature Methods authored by Collins,</p><p>A researcher from MIT working on the type of protein named “intein” which play a key role in the improvement of this technique.</p><p>The protein breaks down into two another pieces named “exteins” which is functional in nature researcher decided to attach this extein into zinc finger which is further engineered to determine DNA sequence.</p><p>&amp;quot;Since this is modular, you can potentially evoke any response that you want,&amp;quot; Slomovic says, author of this work,&amp;quot;You could program the cell to kill itself, or to secrete proteins that would allow the immune system to identify it as an enemy cell so the immune system would take care of it.&amp;quot;</p><p>Note:The above story is only for information purposes for more information go through original story source.</p><h2>References</h2><p>Shimyn Slomovic, James J Collins. DNA sense-and-respond protein modules for mammalian cells. Nature Methods, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.3585</p>