Complete Genomics launches, becomes world's first large-scale human genome sequencing company

"Many chronic and life-threatening human diseases have a genetic basis, and Complete Genomics' sequencing service will allow medical researchers to study disease pathways comprehensively and cost-effectively in a large number of individuals. The ability to compare a significant number of genomes of people with a disease against those without the disease is central to enabling drug discovery and the development of new diagnostics," added Dr. George M. Church, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, director of the Center for Computational Genetics and member of Complete Genomics' Scientific Advisory Board.

Growth Strategy

This announcement marks the first step in Complete Genomics' dramatic growth strategy. After the company launches its third-generation human DNA sequencing service in Q2 2009, it plans to sequence 1,000 genomes in the same year. The company will then sequence 20,000 genomes in 2010.

This is proving to be a popular proposition: 10 percent of Complete Genomics' sequencing capacity is already allocated to the Seattle-based Institute for Systems Biology, with whom it announced its first partnership today.

Also in conjunction with partners, Complete Genomics intends to open additional genome sequencing centers across the U.S. and abroad. Over the next five years, the company projects that 10 such centers will be able to sequence 1 million complete human genomes.

"One million genomes represent 1,000 people each in 1,000 disease studies," Reid said. "Our customers will conduct these studies to reveal the genetic basis of all major human diseases including cancer, psychiatric and neurological diseases, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, and many other poorly understood multifactorial diseases."

Data Center

A key component of Complete Genomics' sequencing center is its data center, purpose-built to manage and analyze the staggering amount of genetic data that will be generated by sequencing thousands of human genomes. Because the data generated by a single human genome would fill 1,000 laptop computers, each with 100 GB of disk storage, data management for Complete Genomics' genome center will be a massive undertaking. The company plans to have 10,000 processors with five petabytes (5 million gigabytes) of disk storage in 2009 and will further increase its capacity to 60,000 processors with 30 petabytes of disk storage in 2010. Complete Genomics expects to sequence 200 genomes per day by the end of 2010, making it the world's highest-throughput human genome sequencing center. To put this in context, fewer than 20 complete human genomes have been sequenced in the world to date.