Cheap DNA Sequencing is Getting Closer

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Development of the $ 1,000 genome testing games may heat up. New technologies promise lower costs, while speeding you need to decipher the genes and potential health risks and possible ways to provide personalized treatment time of the report, a new report says.

The first human genome map in 2001, costing about $ 1 billion to do. Since then, researchers have worked to develop cheaper DNA sequencing technology.

The development of those expensive technology, ion torrent systems of a company in San Francisco, using a semiconductor chip detection of DNA or genetic material, instead of light. Dr. Maneesh Jain, seed marketing and business development vice president, thus eliminating the need for some such sequence is usually the need for more expensive equipment, but also Ion Torrent faster.

The researchers were able to check the three strains and one of the human genome, the use of new technologies, said Jain.

He said the new DNA scanning for digital cameras use the same semiconductor chip technology, and to some extent, evolution of this DNA scanning technology is similar to digital cameras.

"When [Digital Photography] started, the resolution is not good and picture is not good movies, but improvements in technology, which makes it easier, now that more people can enjoy photography, and become a better photographer, "he said.

New technology in the journal Nature published a report on July 21.
As for when it will offer the coveted $ 1,000 gene scan, Jain said, "We are close to this goal very close."
Cheaper DNA scanning technology has great potential, Jain said. For example, you can help break quickly decode the outbreak strain, he added, "We can find the ultra-fast response and access to the fingerprint, and back to its route."

To scan the DNA for other purposes, including to better match treatment of diseases, Jain said. The purpose of the so-called personalized medicine, to avoid the use of a better treatment of genetic diseases found in the scan data of trial and error.


These scans can also give what maybe the health of people to the snapshot. But know that you may develop a disease is not always useful, if what we can do to prevent it.

Jain said, "If you are a disease, such as diabetes genetic predisposition, you can change your lifestyle."

But some medical experts, including Dr. Robert S. Boas in Manhasset, NY The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research of Genomics and Human Genetics Center Director Peter Gregersen, adopted a more cautious approach to assess the new technology.

"Most of genetics tells us that there are many fairly common variant of the disease have a mild degree of risk, Gregersen said." "This is important from a scientific point of view, but the data itself is not working.

"People with high blood pressure, smoking and high cholesterol-related disease risk is lower than most of the genome-wide scan of genetic risk," Gregersen. For example, if your genome scan identified a mutation, the risk of macular degeneration you are in, leading cause of blindness, "You might see an ophthalmologist, in form, can be treated, but know that your genes, will not affect so much, "he said.

"Get It is one thing, but to fully explain the information it provides is another large part," Gregersen said. "This is an interesting thing, there are ways to do, where you can now give a larger part of the registry, such as basic science." But, he added, "isolated, this information is not helpful."

SOURCES: Maneesh Jain, M.D., vice president of marketing and business development, Ion Torrent Systems Inc., San Francisco; Peter Gregersen, M.D., director, the Robert S. Boas Center for Genomics and Human Genetics at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, N.Y.; July 21, 2011, Nature. 

Article source HealthDay