“In the decades since the Human Genome Project ended, the cost of sequencing a whole genome has fallen exponentially — just last year, Illumina introduced a new machine it says can get the job done for just $200.
At the same time, the amount of genome data available for analysis has increased significantly. In 2023, the UK Biobank announced that it was making a database containing the genome sequences of 500,000 anonymous volunteers, along with information from their health records, available to approved researchers.
That means we not only have the ability to sequence a person’s genome at a relatively low cost, but also enough examples of genomes and life outcomes to put what we discover into some sort of context.
Add in recent breakthroughs in gene therapy, which could be used to correct ‘bugs’ in our genetic code, and you get a society on the brink of a new era in medicine.
Nucleus Genomics hopes to be a leader of this era.
In August 2024, the Brooklyn-based startup launched its first product: a whole genome sequencing and analysis service that costs just $399. A $39 annual membership fee gets the customer access to new features and reports as they become available.”
From Freethink.