Genomics is an area of technology that changes at an alarmingly rapid rate. It is difficult to get examples of other fields that have undergone change at similar rates, but comparisons could range from the evolution of computer technology in the last several decades or the rapid growth of Internet startups in the 90s. Unlike these examples, the growth of genome sequencing technology is restricted to a certain technological sector, or at the very least, it has been until now.
Sequencing technology has become passing a crucial point, where the price of whole genome sequencing is clearly below the price of owning a conventional panel of genetic tests. Though it is difficult to calculate a precise figure with this, it probably is based on the number of $1K-$10K. Illumina’s HiSeq platform or IonTorrent’s Proton both promise genomic sequencing in this range, along with Complete Genomics. As we pass this point, genome sequencing moves from the realm of research technology to viable clinical diagnostic test.
The effects of this change may be observed in the growing widespread curiosity about sequencing technology. While technologies in this area have revolutionized many aspects of research in the last decade, their use in clinical settings has profound implications with this industry. Research applications can just only provide a small source of profits. Moving into clinical applications provides use of a much bigger amount of capital, both because of the larger market and higher profit margins.
The clinical introduction of genome sequencing technology will change many facets of healthcare next few years. Genome sequencing could eventually take the area of a standard element of a patient’s healthcare record, in very similar way as blood type and allergies to medication are utilized today. However, we’ve a lot of ground to cover before we get to this point. For entrepreneurs in this field, this equates to a variety of exciting opportunities.
While interpretation of genomic has been a significant part of research, the growing usage of this data in clinical fields will generate a good demand for the unambiguous interpretation of results. Physicians want an unambiguous questions such as for instance disease predisposition, and they’d like a trustworthy party to assume the responsibility for making this judgement. Recently, an increasing number of companies have entered the region of genomic data interpretation, most of them small startups such as for instance Genformatic, a Bioinformatics company situated in Austin. Larger companies have also begun to target on providing these services. As this industry evolves, it is likely that more companies may enter this realm, and it will undoubtedly be interesting to observe how things develop in this area.
While anyone with experience in Molecular Biology possesses the mandatory skills to prepare and run libraries, a lot of things can go wrong in this process. 遺伝学 Even in pure research applications, sample preparation can be an increasingly common service given by a variety of centers, along with boutique services, such as for instance Genome Organizer’s ChIP-Seq service. It’s not too researchers can’t perform these tasks, however when they are available for a fee, they see little benefit to running these services for themselves. As genomic sequencing moves in to the clinical realm, demand for such services can be expected to increase. You will find few hospitals with the existing capability to do basic sample preparation, and this represents a brand new part of opportunity in this field.
One of the greatest aspects of uncertainty in this area today is how samples will get from physicians’ offices to sequencing centers, and who will inform patients of their results. Though medical school curricula may one day range from the interpretation of genomic data, we’re not even close to that point today. Currently, even the administration and interpretation of Genetic tests is generally left to individuals in the field of Genetic Counseling, in collaboration with statisticians and specialists. Though it is likely that a variety of other professionals will take control the responsibility of this field as time goes on, it is likely that in the long run, the growth will need place within this field.