“We Are A Data Company” Cliff Reid, CEO Complete Genomics
Without a doubt the hottest company in the genomics sector right now is gene sequencing powerhouse Complete Genomics. In just the last four years the company has come out of nowhere to dominate the market for low cost sequencing of human genomes in large quantities. Although Complete Genomics is now slated to sequence an incredible 5,000 human genomes in 2010, this is nothing compared to what the company has in store for the years ahead. Just days ago, in a Singularity Hub exclusive interview with Complete Genomics CEO Dr. Cliff Reid, we have learned that the company is now hoping to sequence 50,000 genomes in 2011 and a whopping 1 million genomes by 2014. Considering that by the end of 2009 only about 100 or so human genomes had ever been sequenced, most of them by – you guessed it – Complete Genomics, this represents an enormous shift in the industry. In the rest of this post I will share with you the juicy details from the interview, followed by the full video of our conversation at the end.
Although companies like 23andme or Illumina have been hogging much of the headlines in genomics recently, the real story may be that Complete Genomics is about to rewrite the game for the entire industry. Simply put, Complete Genomics is the first company to realize that sequencing human genomes is a brute force computational problem that is best overcome through large scale centralization.





23andMe is a personal genetics firm that allows individuals to test their genome for key genetic markers. These markers take the form of SNPs (pronounced ’snips’), single nucleotide polymorphisms. A standard test that grants you access to information about ancestry, health, and traits costs you about $399. A research version is available for just $99. Basically all you do for either option is spit in a special tube and then mail it to the company.









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