Complete Genomics

Complete Genomics is an emerging California company which has been developing a third-generation genome sequencing technology that will provide complete human genetic data at a lower cost and at a higher throughput than existing approaches.

Applying a strikingly different approach than other sequencing vendors, who are selling instruments to the scientific community, Complete Genomics plans to offer human genome sequencing as a service through its own commercial-scale genome center. This development will allow pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other medical research customers, for the first time, to conduct large-scale human genome studies for a wide variety of diagnostic and discovery applications, including clinical trials. Such studies will further elucidate the genetic underpinnings of complex diseases and drug responses, leading to improved human health.

Because Complete Genomics is using a highly optimized and scalable technology, it is able to offer a lower price point, allowing its customers to conduct large-scale complete human genome studies. Complete Genomics plans to harness the intrinsic miniaturization and parallelization potential of its DNA nanoarray-based genome sequencing system, economies of scale, and sophisticated manufacturing techniques to reduce its technology costs in proportion to the volume of genomes sequenced.

Through its service model, Complete Genomics will provide customers with access to high-quality, low-cost human DNA sequencing data with no capital expenditure. Customers will no longer need to dedicate resources to prepare samples and, operate sequencing instruments, nor invest in the considerable computing resources required to manage and analyze the substantial data generated. Thus, customers will be able to focus on their areas of expertise.

Complete Genomics’ combined technology and business model will, for the first time, enabl large-scale human genomic population studies thereby providing the basis for meaningful individual genomic analysis. Only when genomic data is gathered and analyzed on this scale will knowledge of one’s own genome be of use in disease prevention and management.