Posted: December 7, 2009 |
China to Develop Third-Generation Genome Sequencing Instrument |
(Nanowerk News) The Chinese Academy of Sciences and Inspur Group have started a joint project to develop the third-generation genome sequencing instrument, which might slash the cost of genome sequencing by 99 percent.
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The instrument is expected to sequence a person's genomes in an hour at a cost of about 1,000 U.S. dollars, compared with six weeks and 60,000-100,000 dollars by the current second-generation instrument, said Yu Jun, deputy head of the Beijing Institute of Genomics with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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The academy and the Inspur Group, a leading supplier of computing platforms and IT application solutions in China, announced the project here on Friday, according to a report by Beijing Daily newspaper on Saturday.
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"The home-made third-generation genome sequencing instrument is not only conducive to life science research, but also concerns the genetic safety of China," Yu said.
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The sequencing instrument is vital for gene science research and the made-in-China third-generation instrument will help the country get a leading edge in the field, he added.
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