As hyped as it is, genetic sequencing remains out of reach for most people. With a cost of at least $4,000 to sequence a single genome, there's just no way that the technology can currently be used in a clinical setting. There's nothing like a cash prize to speed up research, however, which is why the Archon Genomics X Prize is offering $10 million to the first team that can quickly, accurately, and cheaply sequence 100 genomes.
One other requirement: Those 100 genomes have to come from people who have lived to be 100. While that won't necessarily explain why these centenarians lived longer than others, it could be a start. "The notion of looking at people who have already lived to 100, they obviously have something working for them," says Craig Venter, the originator of the prize and the first person to sequence the human genome. "In the past, geneticists have looked at so-called disease genes, but a lot of people have changes in their genes and don't get these diseases. There have to be other parts of physiology and genetics that compensate."
To read the full, original article click on this link: The $10 Million Genomics X Prize Will Make Genetic Sequencing Fast, Cheap, And Accurate | Fast Company
