New X Prize Is a Race To Sequence the Genomes of One Hundred One-Hundred-Year-Olds
100th Birthday Cake rockinfree via FlickrHow do centenarians live so long? And how fast can we sequence? A newly revamped $10 million prize for sequencing the genomes of 100 centenarians could yield the fastest-ever gene sequencing technology to date, finally bringing ultra-precise personal genetics to the masses on a rapid and inexpensive scale. And perhaps even better, the genomics X Prize could help unlock the genetic secrets - if they really exist - to a healthy, century-long life. Five years ago, the Archon Genomics X Prize presented by MEDCO kicked off to stimulate advances in cheap, fast, and accurate human genome sequencing, offering a $10 million purse to whoever could unravel 100 human genomes in 10 days for $10,000 apiece. Although genetic sequencing costs continue to plummet, that short time frame proved too daunting, so the X Prize Foundation decided to start over. They also introduced a new twist: The genomic...