Please note the free lecture takes place tonight, Thursday September 20, and not last night as the printed edition of The Northern Echo states today.

PATIENTS in the region will soon be the first in Europe to benefit from an advanced new "gene sequencer", which speeds up the detection of genetic abnormalities.

It will mean that increasing numbers of North-East patients, who at present face long waits to find out whether they are at risk of hereditary cancers and other illnesses, can be told sooner rather than later.

Potentially, by giving some patients the all- clear, it could save the NHS millions of pounds in unnecessary surgery for women who might otherwise have their breasts and ovaries removed to reduce the risk of illness.

The £500,000 Roche genome sequencer FLX, at the Centre For Life, in Newcastle, can carry out hundreds of tests on a sample of saliva.

Instead of taking days to tell whether a family member is carrying a defective gene, the new Swiss-made machine can produce results in hours.

Professor John Burn, head of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University, said he was "extremely grateful" to the regional development agency, OneNorth-East, for agreeing to pay for the genome sequencer.

"It gives us a clear lead in the field, and I am not aware of any other genome sequencer of this type being used elsewhere in Europe," he said.

Prof Burn unveiled the new machine to coincide with a free lecture by internationally-known genetics expert Dr Elizabeth Bryan at the Centre for Life tonight.

Poignantly, Dr Bryan's family has been decimated by hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.

Prof Burn said: "My long-standing friend and colleague, Elizabeth Bryan, lost one sister, saw a second undergo bilateral mastectomies, then developed cancer herself, despite having her breasts and ovaries removed.

"She has written her story in an inspiring new book entitled Singing The Life."

In a foreword to the book, Prof Burn writes: "Those in the shadow of cancer should read it. Those who counsel people at genetic risk must read it."

Dr Bryan, who donated a tissue sample to the Centre Of Life to help experts perfect their techniques, welcomed the speeding up of genetic checks.

"The stress for families who sometimes have to wait for years to know whether they are at risk from hereditary diseases is a terrible thing," said Dr Bryan.