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The Next Revolution In Medicine: Genome Scans For Everyone
the_newsbeagle writes "This year, a biotech company called Ion Torrent will introduce a new chip for its genome sequencing machine, which should enable researchers and doctors to scan a complete human genome for $1000 and in just a couple of hours. Compare that to the effort required to complete the first human genome: $3 billion and 13 years. Ion Torrent has nearly reached the $1000-genome milestone by virtue of a process called 'semiconductor sequencing,' and the company's founder says his chip-based sequencing machine benefits from all the efficiencies of the computer industry. At a price point of $1000, genome scans could become a routine part of medicine. And the price could keep dropping. To test out the technology, and to investigate just how useful genome scans are these days for your typical, reasonably healthy person, the IEEE Spectrum reporter got her own genome scanned and analyzed."
Of course, one of the immediate things people will need to worry about is misuse of this. One can easily see the insurance companies making everybody take one of these, and then refusing you coverage based on your genetics.
These kinds of things can have unintended consequences pretty quickly, and the privacy and legal implications of these kinds of tests cheap and routine haven't all been worked out.
I can certainly see all sorts of potential for abuse of this. I wouldn't be eager to sign up for this, but, I do tend to the tinfoil hat end of the spectrum on these things.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
It would be neat to have a nice, light and portable genome sequencer for when I next go eating meat in the UK