Prognosis
A $100 Genome Within Reach, Illumina CEO Asks If World Is Ready
- In 2017, the company promised a $100 genome within a decade
- CEO Francis deSouza says tech isn’t the only thing in the way
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For years, the cost to decode a full human genome has been falling much like computer processing costs -- from hundreds of thousands of dollars per person to about $1,000 today. With a $100 genome getting closer, the CEO of the top maker of DNA sequencers thinks the world may not be ready.
Illumina Inc.’s first machines, introduced in 2006, could decode a full human genome for about $300,000. A model released in 2014 can do so for about $1,000, and has made DNA sequencing widespread, helping diagnose diseases and find new drugs. The company’s latest machines could one day bring the cost close to $100.