Understanding Sanger Sequencing: The Cornerstone of Genetic Analysis In the world of genetics, one technique stands as a milestone in the evolution of DNA analysis—Sanger sequencing. Developed by Frederick Sanger in 1977, this method revolutionized the field of molecular biology and paved the way for modern genomic research. Even though new sequencing technologies have emerged, Sanger sequencing remains a cornerstone, particularly for smaller-scale DNA projects. Let's dive deeper into how this technique works, its applications, and why it continues to be relevant today. What is Sanger Sequencing? Sanger sequencing, often referred to as "chain-termination sequencing," is a method used to determine the exact sequence of nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA) in a specific DNA fragment. It works by synthesizing new DNA strands in the presence of modified nucleotides, which cause the DNA replication process to halt at different points. By separating these fragments by siz...