Sequencing Wars - The Third Generation

Forget the white lab coats and the quiet demeanors. In biology labs across the country, and in corporate R&D labs, there is an all-out war going on. Researchers are pushing themselves and their gear in an effort to understand human disease and find new pathways for treatment, while companies are pushing each other on a relentless drive to build better, faster, and cheaper research equipment. (Learn more about the importance of Research and Development, see: Buying Into Corporate Research & Development (R&D).)

We are now on the cusp of a new battle - the sequencing wars to be fought with third-generation sequencing equipment. Third-gen systems promise more accuracy, faster results, better economics, and a new round of sales for major corporations. The combatants will include some of the better-known names in life sciences research, while the victors will almost certainly include all of us, as these technology innovations should ultimately lead directly to better healthcare treatments.   



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I also would like add that IBM is working on a next-gen platform as well. IBM's idea is to use microtubules that read the charge of the base-pairs in the DNA. IBM thinks they may be able to produce entire genomes in under an hour with this technology. It's very interesting technology, but it's a long way from "interesting in the lab" to break-out commercial success.