Knome, the brainchild of renowned Harvard geneticist George Church, is reportedly on track to sequence the genomes of 20 people this year. Knome garnered worldwide attention for its plans to offer full sequencing information on individuals at a price of $350,000. A slate of start-ups including 23andMe and Navigenics have popped up to offer much more limited genetic analysis to consumers interested in finding out more about the risks they face for certain diseases.
"People assume it's hypochondriacs coming to us," Knome CEO Jorge Conde tells the Boston Globe. "It isn't. It's people who are technophiles and inherently curious about themselves, and about science."
- read the article from the Boston Globe