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Commercial, USB-Powered DNA Sequencer Coming This Year

Posted by Soulskill on from the we've-come-a-long-way-from-the-human-genome-project dept.

Zothecula writes "Oxford Nanopore has been developing a disruptive nanopore-based technology for sequencing DNA, RNA, proteins, and other long-chain molecules since its birth in 2005. The company has just announced that within the next 6-9 months it will bring to market a fast, portable, and disposable protein sequencer that will democratize sequencing by eliminating large capital costs associated with equipment required to enter the field."

3 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. High error rate by Guppy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The technology has a 4% error rate, meaning that 4% of the bases are read incorrectly

    Needs to drop an order of magnitude to be competitive, unless it's much cheaper than expected.

  2. Re:Yes, goodie by SomePgmr · · Score: 4, Interesting
    And even with this device, the article says:

    During interviews just proceeding the product announcement at AGBT 2012, Clive Brown, the Chief Technology Officer of Oxford Nanopores, revealed that the expected $900 price tag for the MinION has a good bit of margin built in. We can thus expect prices to fall quickly as production becomes routine in its challenges.

  3. Re:I'm going to sequence all my neighbors! by richardkelleher · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Isn't this just another step closer to the world of Blade Runner? Soon Make! will have articles on home gene splicing and growing organs with your Arduino controlled Tissue Growth Chamber.