Will we soon see much cheaper DNA tests? Especially for autosomal DNA testing? It is a bit too early to say for sure, but today's news about lower testing prices certainly is encouraging.
When the human genome was first sequenced about a decade ago, the achievement took years and cost $1 billion. Now, scientists and entrepreneurs are predicting that the task will soon take just under 6 hours, with a price tag of just $900. A company called Oxford Nanopore Technologies claims it will accomplish this feat using a device that can plug into your computer’s USB port.
The key to this remarkable rate of progress? A technology called nanopore sequencing, which allows researchers to determine the sequence of base pairs in an individual’s DNA without taking it apart.
You can read more in an article by Joseph Stromberg in the Smithsonian Magazine's web site at http://goo.gl/PMZxK.
It requires more than a nanopore sequencing device to perform a complete genealogy DNA test, but any news of cheaper equipment has to eventually lead to cheaper prices for all of us.
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