Steep Drop in Sequencing Costs Have Made Whole Exome Sequencing Cost Effective

1. Steep Drop in Sequencing Costs Have Made Whole Exome Sequencing Cost Effective Genome sequencing costs have shrunk to well below $1000. This is highly lucrative to those looking to use next generation sequencing for their research or clinical applications. Close to two decades earlier, the costs for the same, was somewhere above $500 million. This drop in sequencing costs has made whole exome sequencing cost effective and within the reach of a large percentage of the population. The costs are expected to slide further, and here is useful information about the reduced costs. The reasons for the reduced whole genome sequencing cost One of the reasons for the reduced costs towards whole genome sequencing is the availability of DNA sequencing technologies. The Human Genome Project, when it was launched sequenced the representative versions of chromosomes, and was a reference sequence. The high costs are also associated to the fact that when the project was commenced there was no reference framework. This resulted in the need for more time and efforts towards connecting separate segments of the sequence. In the absence of any existing reference sequence, this was mandatory, and drove costs higher. Over the years exome sequencing costs have come down drastically, thanks to the enhancements in capture techniques and massive drop in Illumina sequencing costs. Slashed costs make it possible to incorporate whole exome sequencing into routine clinical testing arena The update in technology and drop in exome sequencing costs holds immense promise, as now it is being regularly offered to screen patients that display symptoms that are non-standard to medical practices. As more and more DNA sequencing technologies hit the market, the costs are expected to slide further, and is bound to make it more cost effective in the future. The ability to identify genetic variations by rapidly sequencing large amounts of DNA through next generation sequencing for SNP detection, gene expression and transcriptome analysis can quickly determine genetic disorders that in past have eluded doctors and researchers. The identification of disease causing mutations, through whole exome sequencing of exons are important from a clinical point of view and are also invaluable top researchers studying about the relation between genetic variations and health conditions.