Racing to marry electronics with genetics

Biotechnology and high tech are merging in an increasingly hot race to develop a solid-state gene sensor, a device to rapidly sequence DNA by using a computer chip embedded with genetic material.

Aiming for markets created by the Human Genome Project and gene-based drugs, a growing number of companies are entering the field. One of the latest is Nanotronics, a five-month-old San Diego start-up that plans to jump past its competitors by exploiting the emerging science of nanotechnology...