The DNA Sequencing Revolution

by Glenn Busch on January 10, 2012

The industrial revolution was sparked by the declining cost of engines and their increasing efficiency. Soon other businesses other than mining operations, like textile manufacturing, were transformed by the application of cheap and efficient power. The same thing is happening today with our data revolution.

Cheaper and faster data is and will have profound effects on businesses other than computing, like healthcare.

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Life Technologies (LIFE) is on the verge of sequencing a person’s entire genetic code for $1,000 and doing it in a day.

The quest to harness the power of DNA to develop personalized medicine is on the threshold of a major milestone: the $1,000 genome sequencing.

Life Technologies Corp., a Carlsbad, Calif., genomics company, plans to introduce Tuesday a machine it says will be able to map an individual’s entire genetic makeup for $1,000 by the end of this year. Moreover, the machine and accompanying microchip technology, both developed by the company’s Ion Torrent unit, will deliver the information in a day, the company says.

The opportunities in highly-personalized medicine are immense. I’m excited to see what new medical breakthroughs are a direct result of cheaper and faster DNA sequencing. I’m also to excited to see how Cheaper DNA sequencing spills over into our daily lives. 23andMe is already one area.