There are several companies calling for industry standards in recording deciphered DNA. Apparently, the number of genomes that are sequenced each year is increasing at a staggering rate. While there were only a few dozen in 2009, there were 1700 in 2010, and an estimated 30,000 will be done in 2011. The issue is that each of the companies doing this research keep the data in a different format (sound like the issues we have heard about with medical records?).
The potential for big discoveries is increased dramatically when one can combine the results from several of the companies, but as yet there is no standardization and, therefore, no ability to perform the analytics necessary.
Can the companies agree to a standard or will there be a need for government intervention (regulation)?
These companies are also under increasing pressure to "pay off' on the promises made that attracted the large amounts of investment money that they have gathered over the years. Is cooperation in their best interest or should each company hold out hoping they get the whole pie?
Not really a new technology....just an example of some things we have been talking about in class...
Link: http://www.fiercebiotechresearch.com/story/sequencing-leaders-want-industry-standards-govern-decoded-dna/2011-09-27?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss
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