Cheaper cancer gene tests, by the drop

Many tumor biopsy samples haven’t been good candidates for the increasingly popular genetic tests that can expose a cancer’s progression and its susceptibility to drugs and other treatments. A cost-effective new testing method could make it easier for scientists to identify the assortment of cancer-causing genetic mutations in tumor cells. Developed by RainDance Technologies, a maker of genomic tools in Billerica, Massachusetts, the technology could enable researchers to analyze tiny samples collected by needles, a less invasive option than the surgical biopsies required for many molecular diagnostic tests. Read more here.