Why was the Sanger sequencing method so influential?
The ability to reliably determine the sequence of DNA was, I believe, quite important. Before our method, figuring out the order of the building blocks of DNA was exceedingly difficult and time-consuming. Our approach, using DNA polymerase to synthesise complementary strands with labelled bases that could be detected, made it far more efficient and accessible. This opened the door to truly understanding genomes. It allowed researchers to read the genetic code directly, which was essential for fields like molecular biology and genetics to progress as they have.
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