NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) - Harvard geneticist George Church has joined the $10 million race for the Archon X Prize for Genomics.
The X Prize Foundation is sponsoring a contest to see which research team can sequence 100 human genomes within ten days for less than $10,000.
Church was an important player in the Human Genome Project and is a co-founder of startup Knome, which last week said it will offer whole-genome sequencing and other services to around 20 individuals for $350,000 per genome.
Church said that the Personal Genome Project “was founded in recognition that second-generation DNA sequencing has arrived and along with it, affordable personal genomics in which anyone will be able to access their own genetic information."
The Church-led Personal Genome X-Team will employ a combination of multiplex polony sequencing strategy and haplotyping.
"We feel that the Archon X Prize for Genomics will help raise consciousness, encourage cost reductions and standardize comparisons, all of which will allow for the creation of truly personalized medicine," Church said.
Church’s team includes Rich Terry, senior engineer for device R&D and integration; Greg Porreca, a co-developer of multiplex polony sequencing; Jay Shendure, a genome sciences professor at the University of Washington; and Kevin McCarthy, who is chief technology officer of Danaher Motion - Dover.