Aggregated News
The cost of sequencing an entire human genome continues to plummet. Complete Genomics, a Mountain View, California-based biotechnology company last year claimed it would soon be able to sell full human genome sequences for as little as $5000 apiece. That now appears within reach. In tomorrow's Science, the company will report that it sequenced three human genomes for about $4400 each, at least in the cost of reagents. Such cheap sequencing could vastly accelerate studies designed to pinpoint genes underlying complex diseases.
The rapid fall in sequencing prices may give genomics an equivalent of Moore's Law, which describes how the number of transistors on computer chips doubles every 18 months, steadily driving down the cost of computing power. In 2003, the cost of sequencing a human genome was an estimated $300 million. That was down to $1 million in 2007 and $60,000 last year.
Researchers at Complete Genomics say they owe their success both to speed and low use of reagents. The sequencing technology works by first chopping the genome into single-stranded DNA fragments and combining them with snippets of...
The rapid fall in sequencing prices may give genomics an equivalent of Moore's Law, which describes how the number of transistors on computer chips doubles every 18 months, steadily driving down the cost of computing power. In 2003, the cost of sequencing a human genome was an estimated $300 million. That was down to $1 million in 2007 and $60,000 last year.
Researchers at Complete Genomics say they owe their success both to speed and low use of reagents. The sequencing technology works by first chopping the genome into single-stranded DNA fragments and combining them with snippets of...