Thousand Dollar Genome: Mission still impossible

Geneticists are not yet able to win the Archon Genomics X prize

ABC Magazine based on Nature: Tepid showing for genomics X prize

This year, only two teams have registered to participate in the fight for the Archon Genomics X prize, but they do not expect success either. According to the researchers, the industry does not yet have a technique capable of winning this competition, and the existing methods will require costs exceeding the promised prize of $ 10 million.

The Archon Genomics XPRIZE is an annual competition of geneticists and researchers who are invited to sequence 100 human genomes quickly, accurately and at minimal cost within 30 days. The main prize of the competition is $ 10 million. The main task of the organizers of the competition is to spur researchers to develop more advanced genome sequencing methods that will reduce the cost of decryption while maintaining high quality. After all, despite the fact that the cost of sequencing has fallen markedly since 2002, there is currently no further decline.

The X Prize Foundation from California first announced the holding of such a competition in October 2006. Then the researchers were asked to decode 100 genomes in 10 days, spending no more than 10 thousand US dollars on each. 8 teams entered the competition, but none of them managed to meet the 10-day deadline. The competition was suspended for 2 years, after which the rules were changed. Now the term has become 30 days, and the cost of decoding one genome is no more than 1 thousand US dollars. Moreover, the organizers gathered for the competition 100 genomes of centenarians from all over the world who survived 100 years of age. Thus, sequencing their genomes also carries a research burden – the identification of genes that can contribute to longevity.

The organizers of the competition also require high accuracy and accuracy of decoding from the participants. Only 1 error per 1 million nitrogenous bases is allowed. However, geneticists note that modern sequencing techniques do not allow achieving such a result. Currently, the genome is decoded in small segments, which are then joined together, which can lead to errors. The world market leader in the field of genome sequencing, Illumina from San Diego, makes up to 7.5 percent of errors during decoding. More modern decryption techniques are being developed, but so far they are too slow and very expensive. Such work will require costs exceeding the prize offered by the organizers. According to geneticists, the requirements set by Archon Genomics X are still ahead of the existing reality

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru31.05.2013