Illumina, one of the big players in genetic sequencing technology, is introducing a new sequencer that the company believes may make possible personal genomes for $100 a pop. Crossing below the $100 barrier is thought by many to be an achievement that would bring us into a new age of medicine in which patient genetics will be used to make clinical decisions. Though that’s still only a speculation, faster and cheaper sequencing will certainly help researchers tracing diseases and identifying genetic variants that require many samples to to be analyzed.
The new NovaSeq series of sequencers, with the NovaSeq 5000 and NovaSeq 6000 as the first models, will be capable of simultaneously processing three to 48 whole genomes at a time. Though the devices get close to costing $1 million each, the per-sample cost will be typically smaller than on previous Illumina devices. The speed of the process from beginning to results is also reduced to help labs doing lots of sequencing get through the tedious task faster.
“The introduction of NovaSeq marks one of the most important inflection points of innovation in Illumina’s history. In the same way that HiSeq X enabled the $1,000 genome with the HiSeq architecture first announced in 2010, we believe that future systems derived from the NovaSeq architecture we are launching today one day will enable the $100 genome and propel discoveries that will enable a deeper understanding and better treatments for complex disease,” said Francis deSouza, President and CEO of Illumina, in a statement. “The NovaSeq Systems enable the study of genetic links between health and disease at an unprecedented scale by making it possible to sequence more samples at greater depth and take on projects that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive. By accelerating the trajectory of genomics with these systems, Illumina is making it possible to envision a future in which all people can benefit from precision medicine.”
Product page: NovaSeq 6000…
Via: Illumina…