Genome sequencing is pushing its way into the clinic, the Financial Times writes.
Even though it is still a bit pricy to sequence the human genome — the cost has fallen to about $1,000 — there are some applications where the price tag wouldn't be that high, it adds. For instance, some diagnostic applications would be sequencing the smaller genomes of bacteria and viruses, the Financial Times says, adding that some companies like DNA Electronics are moving in on that sphere. DNAe plans to launch its first product in 2018, a system to identify the cause of bloodstream infections that lead to sepsis.
"I have always wanted to apply sequencing in a domain where rapid results and ease of use are important," Chris Toumazou, founder and executive chairman of DNAe, tells the Financial Times. "And in the medical sector, diagnosis of infectious diseases is a perfect application for our semiconductor-based technology."
Similarly, researchers used Oxford Nanopore's MinIon sequencer to analyze the Ebola virus from the recent outbreak, it adds.
At the same time, the Financial Times says others are pursing the use of sequencing to diagnose and follow cancer using liquid biopsies, and even others are developing databases to link genes and disease.