Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Clinic

In 10 years, NHGRI hopes to take DNA sequencers from the lab to the clinic, but some companies think 10 years isn't soon enough, says Forbes' Matthew Herper. Illumina's Jay Flatley has already talked about getting regulatory approval "to use his technology for medical purposes," Herper says. And even though regulatory approval — whether of the sequencers themselves or the interpretation of the sequence is unclear — is only the first hurdle. Companies such as Illumina would still have reimbursement issues and other problems to solve before installing sequencers in every hospital.