Sequencing pioneer sets sights on $100 genome

Next-gen sequencing pioneer Illumina says it may soon usher in the era of the $100 genome — which could, in theory, make consumer genomics orders of magnitude more accessible.

CEO Francis deSouza…unveiled a new machine, called the NovaSeq, at…[the] J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. He said the machine’s scanning speed has increased to a pace that could unravel the DNA of an entire human genome in an hour.

Some caveats right off the bat: Even if it is that fast, it’ll still take much longer to actually interpret the data. And while deSouza promised the new machine is “expected one day” to allow for a genome to be sequenced for $100, the company isn’t quite there yet.

Nonetheless, the goal of $100 genome is tantalizing: Less than a decade ago, the cost of sequencing a full genome was several million dollars.

Related on the SLP

Want to make money off genome sequencing? There’s an app for that Cancers and other rare diseases in crosshairs of researchers using breakthrough DNA sequencing

Viewpoint: The fragile (and often bizarre) MAHA-MAGA-far left health-and-chemicals coalition is fracturing. Here’s why

Making fertilizer from thin air: Bayer’s gene-editing innovation could dramatically cut chemical fertilizer use in growing food

Trump is “terminating” Biden-era rule aimed at cutting climate-warming methane emissions from oil and gas drilling

…

“Faster, inexpensive and innovative sequencing technology is a key component to driving breakthroughs in precision medicine,” Human Longevity founder J. Craig Venter said in a statement.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Illumina says it can deliver a $100 genome — soon