Scientists have used a device that fits in the palm of the hand to sequence the human genome. They say the feat, detailed in the journal Nature Biotechnology, opens up exciting possibilities for using genetics in routine medicine.
It is a far cry from the effort to sequence the first human genome which started in 1990. The Human Genome Project took 13 years, laboratories around the world and hundreds of millions of dollars. Since then there has been a revolution in cracking the code of life.
Prof Nicholas Loman, one of the researchers and from the University of Birmingham, UK, told the BBC: "We've gone from a situation where you can only do genome sequencing for a huge amount of money in well equipped labs to one where we can have genome sequencing literally in your pocket just like a mobile phone That gives us a really exciting opportunity to start having genome sequencing as a routine tool, perhaps something people can do in their own home.".
But while the cost of the sequencing is tumbling, there remains a big barrier - being able to rapidly read the genetic code is not the same as understanding what it says.
Dr Sobia Raza, the head of science at the PHG Foundation genomics think tank, told the BBC: "Our ability to sequence whole genomes quickly and cheaply continues to improve. But short-term patient benefits also depend on how well and how fast we can analyse and make sense of the genomic data, and that is still quite a challenge."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42838821
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