Australian scientists have developed a breakthrough technology that could revolutionise the way we diagnose disease -- and it's all thanks to the humble paper towel. The new technology uses a tiny dipstick made of cellulose-based paper (yep, that's paper towel) to separate the DNA and RNA molecules from almost any living organism in as little as 30 seconds. They take that liquid and put it on an agar plate and wait a couple of days," Dr Mason said. According to Dr Mason, it comes down to the comparatively large size of the DNA and RNA molecules. When the dampened dipstick is put through a purification process -- called a wash buffer -- the smaller molecules fall off, while the larger DNA and RNA molecules continue to bind to the dipstick.

Source: Huffington Post November 23, 2017 01:30 UTC