Ion Proton 1: A Chemical Engineer's Dream

[Biosyn]

What do you guys think of the Ion Proton 1 developed by a chemical engineer named Jonathan Rothberg? It can supposedly sequence most of a human genome for around $1000 compared to the past where had it costed millions.

I don't recall quite clearly, but I think researchers at IBM are developing a sequencer that costs around $100 that can read the bases of DNA fragments that flow through holes on its surface.



P.S.
Could someone please provide me with more references? I might write an essay on the Ion Proton sequencer. Thanks!


Sauce:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21776081

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/07/how-accurate-is-the-new-ion-torrent-genome-really/

 

[Pythagorean]

Here's the min-ion. Can do 150 million base pairs in 6 hours on a usb stick:

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-02/20/minion-dna-sequencer

 

[Biosyn]

Here's the min-ion. Can do 150 million base pairs in 6 hours on a usb stick:

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-02/20/minion-dna-sequencer

Impressive :)
$900
Is it one time use? There are over 2.9 billion base pairs in the human genome.

The operational life of the MinION is only about six hours, but during that time it can read more than 150 million base pairs.

Thank you!

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Impressive :)
$900
Is it one time use? There are over 2.9 billion base pairs in the human genome.!

IIRC it's stackable as well though I may be thinking of something else. It's about time nanopore sequencing started taking off, it's been "only five years away" for decades. What will be interesting is when it is cheap enough and reusable enough for ecologists to simply wander out into the field, spend a day collecting hundreds of samples from plants, soil, water, insects, animals etc then leave them all running overnight to sequence them.

 

[LudusRex]

As a fellow scientist, I am extremely impressed with the advancements made by the Ion Proton 1. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of DNA sequencing, making it more accessible and affordable for researchers and clinicians alike. The fact that it can sequence most of a human genome for only $1000 is truly remarkable, considering the high cost associated with traditional sequencing methods.

Jonathan Rothberg's background in chemical engineering has definitely played a significant role in the development of this technology. His understanding of chemistry and materials has allowed for the creation of a highly accurate and efficient sequencer.

I am also aware of the work being done by researchers at IBM on a $100 sequencer that reads DNA fragments through holes on its surface. This is another exciting development in the field of DNA sequencing and it will be interesting to see how it compares to the Ion Proton 1.

As for references, I would recommend looking into the publications by Rothberg and his team on the Ion Proton 1, as well as the studies and reviews on its accuracy and efficiency. Some good starting points could be the articles in the sources provided in the original post, as well as publications in scientific journals such as Nature and Science.

I believe that the Ion Proton 1 has the potential to greatly impact not only the scientific community, but also the medical field and society as a whole. I look forward to reading your essay on this groundbreaking technology.