"The announcement: Using technology originally acquired in the US, the Chinese gene-giant BGI Group says it will make genome sequencing cheaper than ever, breaking the $100 barrier for the first time. It says the low cost is possible thanks to a robotic DNA sequencing system it plans to offer that is capable of decoding the genomes of 100,000 people a year.
Is it for real?: It would be several-fold cheaper than what’s on the market now. Since the first human genome was decoded in 2003, costs have dropped precipitously. A decade ago, decoding one person's genome cost around $50,000. Today, the cost (mostly for chemicals) ranges around $600 for the largest sequencing centers.
China rivalry: The $100 claim could resurface concerns that the US may have fumbled a technological lead by letting the Chinese firm acquire Complete Genomics in 2012"
MIT Technology Review. The Download. Your daily dose of what’s up in emerging technology (2/27/2020)
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