Knome signs up first two paying clients for whole-genome sequencing

Yesterday's press release from Knome has generated surprisingly little interest, but it's actually a pretty big deal: the company, in collaboration with the Beijing Genomics Institute, will be beginning whole-genome sequencing for its first two paying clients within the next few months. As the release says, these will be "the first individuals in the world to have their genome sequenced by a personal genomics firm".

The two clients have (wisely) chosen to remain anonymous at this stage. In return for around $350,000 in cold hard cash, they'll both be receiving "both sequencing and a comprehensive analysis from a team of leading geneticists, clinicians and bioinformaticians".

As I've noted before, the interpretation of whole-genome sequencing is complicated by the fact that no-one has a clue about the functional effects of most variations in the genome, and I wonder if these first clients will feel that they receive anywhere near enough useful information to warrant that hefty price tag.

It's true over the next few years there will be much better systems developed for predicting functional effects, and these customers' sequences will be ready and waiting to take advantage of this progress (whereas the genotyping data provided by the current crop of personal genomics companies will become increasingly obsolete). However, while this progress in interpretation is being made the cost of whole-genome sequencing will simultaneously be dropping by orders of magnitude. From a pure cost-benefit perspective the two customers would almost certainly be better off simply waiting for a few years, for a time when the cost of sequencing and the value generated by new analytical techniques start to meet half-way.

Of course, their loss is our gain. The willingness of wealthy early adopters to pay excessive amounts for untested technology is a big driver of progress: Knome (and everyone else keenly watching this experiment) will learn a great deal about the process of sequencing and interpreting genome sequences as a result.

And so, anonymous customers, I salute you: your willingness to spend large amounts of money for limited information will help to make my genome sequence cheaper and more useful, three to five years from now!