The ripple-effect of last week’s 23andMe news is just the beginning. A new study and an important genomics conference will only further highlight the opportunities coming in personalized medicine.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Future of Personalized Genomics, shows that genetic tests provided by companies straight to consumers via the e-commerce platform are more affordable due to the reduction in sequencing costs. The problem is that single nucleotide polymorphism-based sequencing used in these tests is not as accurate as more expensive technology platforms such as whole exome or whole genome sequencing.
“Stringent protocols and standardization policies need to be put in place to separate medically-viable genetic tests from the ones catering to sheer curiosity,” said Technical Insights Research Analyst Madhumitha Rangesa. “The entire industry requires a gold standard approach that establishes a foundation for the development of advanced genetic tests.”
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The safety and ethical side of testing results being stored digitally is something to keep in mind, however. And as PR Newswire pointed out, the ownership rights of genetic information are not as well-regulated as medical information, making it another cause for concern.
But setting concerns aside, many human genome sequencers are now heading to Marco Island, just off the Florida Gulf Coast, for the Advances in Genome Biology & Technology (AGBT) conference, which runs from Feb. 25-28.
Forbes contributor Luke Timmerman gave a rundown of what five things to expect from the AGBT conference:
1. “Long reads” – The effort toward making DNA sequencing better means going beyond just making it cheaper and faster. 10X Genomics stirred things up last month when it raised $55.5 million in venture capital for its technology for making “long reads,” which will allow researchers to assemble longer stretches of DNA. 10X Genomics is set to unvail the new technology at the conference, but there will likely be discussion of some pending issues, considering RainDance Technologies sued it for patent infringement earlier this month.
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2. Where the FDA fits in – A light is now shining on “Precision Medicine” after President Obama dedicated some focus to the effort and his science adviser Eric Lander of the Broad Institute. It will take some time before the FDA finds the balance between regulations and using genomic data for good, but there is progress already – like the approvals of Illumina‘s MiSeqDx and a test from 23andMe.
3. Who to look out for – Illumina, PacBio and 10X Genomics will likely be the big players in the conversation at the conference. Checking up via Twitter with #AGBT15 will be helpful to know which companies are getting the most buzz
4. Squeezing info from individual cells – There will be talk about the work that Fluidigm and NanoString Technologies have been doing to explore ways of simultaneously extracting information about nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), as well as larger protein molecules that come from that information and do most of the work in cells.
5. Nanopores – Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ MinION system will be a focus for attendees who want to learn more about the apparent ability to sequence DNA in real-time on a USB-compatible stick type device.