X Prize Foundation Encourages DNA Decoding

Carl Bialik from the WSJ writes "The X Prize Foundation, the group behind the $10 million prize for human space flight, 'plans to offer a $5 million to $20 million prize to the first team that completely decodes the DNA of 100 or more people in a matter of weeks, according to foundation officials and others involved,' the Wall Street Journal reports. 'Such speedy gene sequencing would represent a technology breakthrough for medical research. It could launch an era of "personal" genomics in which ordinary people can learn their complete DNA code for less than the cost of a wide-screen television.' But don't set aside that TV purchase just yet: Foundation officials don't expect the prize money to be claimed for five to 10 years."

Re:Costs?

[Pyrowolf]

I think the technology that would come from this would easilly pay for itself regardless of the R&D costs. There would be an immediate need for this technology in various industries.

A whole new era of tire-kicking.

[TripMaster Monkey]

While there's no disputing that speedy, accurate genome sequencing will have a significant positive impact, being the pessimist I am, I can't help but dwell on the possible downsides:

• Cheap and accurate gene sequencing in the hands of insurance companies could make it difficult for a person with a genetic predisposition to disease to obtain health or life insurance.
  
• Cheap and accurate gene sequencing in the hands of corporations encourages said corporations to discriminate in their hiring practices on the basis of genetic predispositions to everything from coronary disease to psychological problems.
  
• Cheap and accurate gene sequencing in the hands of people searching for a spouse could lead to rigorous screenings of prospective mates for evidence of genetic 'undesirability'.
  
• Cheap and accurate gene sequencing in the hands of governments could lead to governments investigating citizens on the basis of 'questionable genetic heritage'.

Brave new world, indeed.

Oh, this is just GREAT news.

[oni]

I'm sure that the same companies who fire employees who dare to smoke on their own time would NEVER dream of sequencing the genes of employees and fire any who have a 2% change of heart desease. Oh no. That will never happen. And if it did, I'm sure that congress, who does not receive enormous donations from the companies, will pass laws that will protect us.

Sloppy language in TFA

[Daniel Dvorkin]

The usual problem with science reporting, particularly in biology. The article says "... the first team that completely decodes the DNA of 100 or more people ..." No; the prize winner will sequence the DNA. That is a looong way from "decoding" the human genome, or even the genomes of any particular 100 people. Sequence information is valuable, but it's not "decoded" in any meaningful sense of the word. Imagine looking at an enormous program written in a language you've just started learning, and full of function and variable names like "do_stuff()" and "x1".

Re:A whole new era of tire-kicking.

[kfg]

Brave new world, indeed.

I have CF and Celiac. Trust me, it's the Old World, brother. You're just about to emigrate is all. Being stripped and deloused is just part of the deal.

KFG

Re:Costs?

[BiggerBoat]

It cost Paul Allen (with Mojave Aerospace Ventures through Burt Rutan and his Scaled Composites) more to win the original X-Prize than the prize awarded him. They won $10 million, but reportedly spent more than $20 million.

For them, it wasn't (just) about the X-Prize and its money. That was just icing on the cake; the "real money" will probably come afterwards (we'll see how well Virgin Galactic does). I could very easily see the same thing happening with this new prize and the people who are already interested in such DNA decoding.

Re:A whole new era of tire-kicking.

[Anonymous Coward]

... being the pessimist I am, I can't help but dwell on the possible downsides: ...

I understand these concerns. But we--as in you and me and everyone else on earth--wouldn't have the capabilities we do now if it hadn't been for natural selection. Leave the system alone--through policy and other conscious efforts--and the system will regulate itself; people will evolve into better, more advanced bio-machines.

Darwin's survival-of-the-fittest applies to all living creatures, including us humans. I'm so tired of people presuming that we can somehow change the inevitable. Yes, I care about the handicapped and the unfortunate--indeed I am handicapped, but it's simply the nature of nature that these people will be weeded out; it advances the entire species as a whole; future generations will reap the rewards of nature acting as it always does.

This doesn't mean that we shouldn't help misfortunate people; we should. But we shouldn't let the "downsides" of these types of scientific advances prevent us from going ahead with them.

Is this a hoax?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there really a prize for this? I can show anyone how to sequence their entire DNA structure in a matter of minutes with some basic electronics. And NO I'm not talking about DNA matching for evidence, I'm talking about full blown DNA sequencing of a single strand. It's very easy. I don't understand how something like this could be overlooked... How do I claim the prize?