As science develops, traditional Sanger sequencing has failed to
meet the requirements of low cost, high throughput and fast in speed. It is
under this circumstance that the next-generation
sequencing technology (second-generation sequencing) appears. As a comparatively new industry,
the next-generation sequencing technology can be applied for clinical genetic
testing, health industry, industrial and agricultural use of gene-oriented
study as well as scientific research and development.
Recent years, with the discovery and promotion of
second-generation sequencing technology, gene sequencing speeds up greatly while
achieving a substantial decline in costs, making large-scale application of
genome sequencing possible. Now, the cost of personal whole genome sequencing
is about 5,000$, and is expected to decreased to less than $ 1,000 in the next
few years.
The rapid development of sequencing technology will promote the
massive accumulation of DNA sequencing data, accompanied by the accumulation of
the corresponding individual signs, diseases and other data at the same time.
When enough data is accumulated, how to understand these data will be critical.
On the micro level, generations of molecular biologists' studying the effects
of apparent biological traits genes exert on utilizing technologies (such as
gene knockout) has made breakthroughs in many crutial aspects. On the macro
level, statistics and other data analysis techniques are introduced to study
the relationship between gene sequences and biological phenotype. The
accumulation of basic scientific research gradually brings breakthroughs in
clinical applications.
There are now two types of clinical applications mainly, one
aims at disease screening of ordinary people. It detects people’s risks of
getting cancer in the future by measuring the known genes associated with a
disease loci. The other aims at the diagnosis cancer and other deadly diseases.
It finds in a series of drugs or plans the most effective one for certain
patients by testing the loci of certain genes.
Data from BBC research
shows that total global gene sequencing market increased from $ 7.941million in
2007 to $ 4.5 billion in 2013, and is predicted to reach $ 11.7 billion in 2018
with the CAGR up to 21.2%.
Currently, the market
of next-generation sequencing platform is mainly taken by several major
manufacturers, including the Illumina, Ion Torrent / Life Technologies (was the
acquisition of Thermo Fisher in 2014), 454 Life Sciences / Roche and other
small ones like Creative Biolabs and CD Genomics.
