Ultima Genomics had found a way to further lower the price of whole genome sequencing (WGS) to just $100. The new method replaces the traditional flow cell with a silicon wafer. Thanks to that change, more and more reads could be sequenced at a much lower cost. The company also informs about novel chemistry used during the process and machine learning methods which further lower the cost of the sequencing.
Why does that matter? In MNM, ARETE platform utilizes thousands of genomes to extract valuable information for the med-tech and pharma-tech industries. So far, the WGS price was the biggest hurdle for extensive genome sequencing programs, especially in the oncology field. Having the possibility of sequencing the genome for just $100 allows us to multiply our data collection incredibly fast. More data means more meaningful output. Cheap WGS could be a major driving factor in bringing new drug target discovery studies, as well to validate existing drug targets on real genomic data.
