If this method really works it would be amazing for medical research. For instance, you could take a cancer biopsy and pull out DNA strands for individual cells. Using single molecule sequencing techniques we could then map the change of the cancer across the biopsy and learn so much about how it grows and transforms.<p>Current DNA extraction methods involve completely 'mincing' the cell and then trying to separate the mush that you get left with. When dealing with single cells this is far too clumsy! It sounds as if this new method would produce a clean way to get the DNA out of (or into) cells.