The Biosingularity beckons!
New improvements in genome sequencing technology mean it’s cheaper and faster than ever before, and the trend looks set to continue – a researcher suggests that the US$1000 genome is only six years away.
I wonder if this is a Moore’s Law style exponential curve … and if so, should we start theorising about a Biosingularity?
April 17th, 2008 at 3:34 am
Venturism just round the corner
April 17th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I’m still waiting for the “perfect cow” so we can all eat victimless meat. Which begs the question: Will Soylent Green be made from “perfect people” meat from Biosingular People Farms?
April 18th, 2008 at 8:39 am
The 454 sequencing technology they used to do Watson’s genome does about 100 megabases of DNA sequence per 8-hour run. They’re fairly widely available and being used right now. The next generation machines, like the Helicos sequencer, can do up to 90 megabases per hour. It’s not quite as simple as looking at the raw throughput of base pairs, but $1,000 genomes in six years does not seem unlikely at all, and I think we’re fast approaching the time when we can generate sequencing data faster than anyone can analyse it.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Actually whole genome sequencing is progressing faster than that forecast.
$60,000 for whole genome today.
Maybe $5000-10000 for whole genome by the end of this year and $1000 genome within 3 years.
http://nextbigfuture.com/2008/03/genome-sequencing-costs-continue-to.html
$100 genome sequencing possible in 5 years
http://nextbigfuture.com/2008/04/100-genome-sequencing-possible-bu-2012.html
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:01 am
I think synthetize and regenerate human cells is present reality,
but therefore evolution is splitting three main paths; human being,
chemically regenerated or biotechnical humans/creatures and artificial species, made
by human itself… And how fast it will happen?!? Heaven knows, so everything is
possible now, when we humans will decode dna and use that knowledge and advantage of
for “human building with block by block”. It´s the method of future, becouse of laws
of nature and sciences.