Genetic tests are increasingly used to help doctors target medicines more accurately, but analysing them remains a long and expensive process.
However, a new kind of DNA machine that uses a microchip developed in the west of Scotland can analyse DNA in just hours.
Professor David Cumming, from Glasgow University's department of electronics, was involved in early research to develop the microchip.
It is currently being used by the biotechnology company Life Technologies in a new machine which can take as little as two hours to sequence DNA.
Prof Cumming said: "One of the objectives is to make DNA sequencing much cheaper than it is today.
"If it becomes cheaper its use will become more widespread and you should be able to see it more commonly - perhaps even in general practice."
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