Stanford Prof Sequences Own Genome In Weeks

MARCUS WOHLSEN

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) żIt might not be long until there is a gene scanner in every doctor's office, as DNA sequencing becomes faster and cheaper.

A Stanford University professor reported Monday that he has sequenced his entire genome in a few weeks for under $50,000 using a single machine.

Six years ago, hundreds of researchers at the Human Genome Project completed the same task for $300 million. It took 13 years.

"It's continuing down the path to making it so every Tom, Dick and Harry are going to have their genomes sequenced," said Eddy Rubin, director of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, who was not involved in the study.

The breakneck pace of technological progress in the field of DNA sequencing has raised hopes that affordable gene scans will be available to all patients soon.

Researchers hope cheap gene sequencing will lead to highly customized disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment tailored to an individual's genetic code.

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