Current genomic sequencing methods cost an estimated $20 million to map a human genome, but George Church and colleagues at Harvard Medical School have discovered a much more cost efficient method (approximately $2.2 million), which was reported in the scientific journal Science in August, 2005. The method leverages advances in digital photography technology to essentially photograph microscopic, color coded beads. Church says the cost could eventually be reduced further to about $1,000 per genome.
The implication of this innovation is that the possibility is within reach that you could get your genome sequenced at your doctor’s office, and have customized drug treatment and prevention solutions tailored to your unique genetic makeup. Personalized medicine company Perlegen Sciences Inc., which recently received a $50 million equity investment from its research partner, pharmaco Pfizer Inc., is one company researching the genetic component of disease and formulating differentiated treatment solutions.
