Complete Genomics To Sequence 1 Million Genomes

Exclusive: Complete Genomics To Sequence 1 Million Genomes – Interview With CEO | Singularity Hub

Instead of building individual machines that can be shipped off to laboratories, Complete Genomics is turning the traditional industry model upside down and doing the sequencing itself. Researchers send Complete Genomics a sample of human DNA in the mail, allow them to process it in their sequencing center, and shortly thereafter they will ship back the sequencing results at a cost and speed that is crushing the rest of the industry.

What do I mean by “crushing”? In November of last year Complete Genomics announced that they had sequenced 3 human genomes at an average cost of materials below $5000 apiece, shattering all previous records by nearly a factor of ten! Last year Complete Genomics was charging its customers $20,000 per genome and this year they will be charging $10,000 or less. We can expect the company’s costs and the prices it charges its customers to continue to drop dramatically in the next few years. The $1,000 genome is indeed within sight.