NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Complete Genomics is using Seattle-based Isilon Systems’ data storage services in its effort to sequence 100 human genomes in 2009, Isilon said today.
The company said Complete Genomics is using its IQ clustered storage system to store over 700 terabytes of data to help power its DNA sequencing effort.
Complete Genomics said a month ago that it is working with the Institute for Systems Biology to sequence 100 genomes in 2009, and 2,000 genomes in 2010, as it aims to dramatically lower the cost of whole genome sequencing.
Complete Genomics VP of Software Bruce Martin said in a statement today that the company “will deliver a $5,000 genome” by the middle of 2009, allowing “a much larger constituency of researchers, scientists, and life sciences organizations” access to more genetic information.
"However, such a feat requires enormous amounts of genetic data to be accessed, analyzed, and stored on an around-the-clock basis, making a highly scalable, high-performance, and easy to use storage solution critical to our workflow,” Martin said, explaining the company’s agreement with Isilon.
Complete Genomics plans to offer a sequencing service, rather than selling its next-generation sequencing instruments, in order to eliminate the limitations of large-scale DNA sequencing that face medical and life sciences researchers. This business model will generate unprecedented growth of genetic data sets and will necessitate a storage solution that can handle more data cheaply, said Isilon.