X-Prize to Award $10M for Fast Sequencing

Shipud writes "The X-Prize foundation has announced the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for Genomics — for the first privately financed group to sequence 100 human genomes in 10 days. The motivation is to create an incentive for faster, cheaper genome seqeunceing, heralding the era of preventative personalized medicine. The winner will also receive an extra $1,000,000 for sequencing the genomes of 100 additional people; among them Larry King and Stephen Hawking. Apparently this is the largest medical prize in history."

Comments

Dupe

[Kazzahdrane]

This was already covered by /. http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/04/151323 6 9 days ago.

Dupe

[tttonyyy]

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/04/151323 6

I, for one, don't welcome our fabulous editing underlords.

ok but

[FateStayNight]

Stephen Hawking I can understand but why is Larry King included. What makes him worthy of having his genomes sequenced.

Rules details

[nyri]

Rules are available in here.

In short:

100 human genomes within 10 days or less with an accuracy of no more than 1 error in 10,000 base pairs, with sequences accurately covering at least 98% of the genome, and at a demonstrated cost of no more than $10,000 per genome.

An intresting detail:

During each X PRIZE competition test, a TEAM must use its device to sequence within 10 days 100 human dip-
loid genomes of 6 Gbp (6 giga base pairs, i.e., six billion pairs of DNA base molecules) each.

Note that Human Genome Project mapped and sequenced only some 3Gbp. And that was considered to be whole genome. Basically X-Price want winner to sequence all 46 cromosomes. This sounds quite difficult as the method have to be sure that is has sequenced both of the cromosomes (from a pair), not just the other one twice. And this must be valid all the 3Gbp. By bet? The working method just sequences emultiple chromosomes and determines the exact basepairs statically.