Store your DNA in the cloud
Google offers new storage service for mapping entire human genome sequences
Medical institutions have already been collecting DNA data for years. A major limitation for them, however, is that it requires about 100 GB worth of disk space to store one DNA sequence. To address this problem, Google is moving into the business of storing DNA sequence data in the cloud.
Mapping the first human genome sequence took 15 years and a whopping US$3 billion. Today, it merely takes roughly a day and just $1,000. The cost of DNA sequencing is continuing to drop, spelling good news for the medical industry worldwide. Researchers are able to perform studies previously beyond reach, while clinical institutions are able to screen patient DNA and diagnose diseases at the start.
Google Genomics, unveiled in late 2014, is a new storage service for DNA information that charges US$25 to store a whole genome sequence in the Google cloud for a year.
Storing so much medical information in one place, accessible to anyone, has its advantages. As the data can be made public, doctors will be privy to a pool of research as a reference when treating patients; for example, determining the right drug to treat certain cancers by comparing a patient with similar stored genomes.
“Imagine the impact if researchers everywhere had powerful tools to distinguish between people who become sick, and those who remain healthy; between patients who respond to treatment, and those whose conditions worsen,” Jonathan Bingham, Product Manager of Google Genomics, explained in a video on Google’s website introducing the service. “Imagine getting results in seconds, instead of days.”
As cloud technology is being made available at increasingly lower costs and exponentially faster speeds, services like Google Genomics could possibly play a role in aiding future groundbreaking research in the medical field. After all, the answers lie in our genes.
Further links:
Medgadget.com
Technologyreview.com
Cloud.google.com/genomics
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