Low cost DNA sequencing technologies

Faster, low cost DNA sequencing technologies needed to drive the era of personalized medicine

DNA testing is transforming health care and medicine, but current technologies only give a snapshot of an individual’s genetic makeup. Any patient wanting a complete picture of their inherited DNA, or genome, would drop their jaw at the sight of the bill - to the current tune of a million or more charged for every human or mammalian-sized genome sequenced.

Now, our Biodesign Institute scientists are expanding efforts to dramatically lower the cost of DNA sequencing.

The NHGRI, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has set an ambitious target of $1,000 or less - a cost 10,000 times lower than current technology - to make genome sequencing a routine diagnostic tool in medical care. The reduced cost may allow doctors to tailor medical treatments to an individual’s genetic profile for diagnosing, treating, and ultimately preventing many common diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Our ambitious DNA sequencing research combines physics, chemistry and nanotechnology with engineering. Much like the computer industry, DNA sequencing technology is driven by the mantra of faster, cheaper and more reliable. In the past generation, sequencing costs have fallen 100-fold, from roughly a dollar a DNA base to a penny, but are still far out of reach for the public.

Our researchers have been charged with the daunting task of shrinking down the 13-year, $2.7 billion Human Genome Project to mere days. Our vision would enable scientists to sequence billions of base pairs of DNA in a single day. This is the size of an average mammalian genome and is approximately 10,000 times more bases per day than can be sequenced using current technologies. Only by increasing the speed of sequencing and reducing its cost, can genetic research develop a more significant role in everyday medical practice.