At a San Francisco biotech conference on Monday , DNA sequence heavyweight Illumina announced the launch of a new DNA sequencer that could push the cost of decrypting the human genome from$1,000 to just $ 100 .
That change , allot to remarks by Illumina ’s main executive director , Francis deSouza , is still as many as 10 year aside . But the annunciation is a good reminder of justhow much quicker and cheaperdecoding DNA has become . A decennium ago , when Illumina unveiled its first deoxyribonucleic acid sequenator , it could sequence a human genome at a cost of $ 300,000 . In 2011 , Steve Jobs devote $ 100,000 to have his DNA sequenced . Now Illumina ’s simple machine do it for just $ 1,000 , realize sequencing not just available to university research laboratory but biohackerstrying to making shine puppies .
Illumina has said before that it eventually plans to target not just scientists but consumer with an “ app store for genetics . ” Through Helix , a tailspin - off fellowship it has invested millions in , consumer can already pay $ 149 to have Illumina ’s machines do exome sequence , a procedure that usually costs $ 1,000 and provides a far more elaborate portrayal of a someone ’s genetics than companies like Ancestry.com by mapping the integral protein - tantalise neighborhood of the human genome .
Illumina say that unexampled DNA sequencer , dubbed the NovaSeq 5000 and the NovaSeq 6000 , are significantly faster than old machines . In the coming year , with additional upgrades , the party promised that the machines will be six clock time truehearted than its predecessor .
Most genome researchers , however , seemed more unrestrained by their expert features : The new machines require just eight gradation to sequence a genome ( down from 38 ) and now include moron - proofing like RFID chip shot to ensure everything is load right .
The machines are n’t cheap — they’ll be $ 850,000 and $ 985,000 , respectively . But it ’s the innovations in the speeding and resources needed to perform each test that Illumina says will push the cost down . For now , that cost is still about $ 1,000 , but eventually , anybody may be able to sequence a genome for $ 100 .
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