The X Prize Foundation is preparing to offer a $10 million prize to the research team which can slash the cost of mapping a human genome. The genomics prize is intended to make it feasible for someone to have their DNA sequenced to better understand their risk for disease. The X Prize Foundation, which plans to make the announcement on October 4, wants to reduce the cost of sequencing to thousands of dollars and just days of lab time. The exact details of the contest aren't known yet, and some researchers expressed some skepticism that $10 million would be enough to drive major new research in the field.
- check out the article on the prize from The Philadelphia Inquirer