LIFE, ILMN unveil new sequencers

Life Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:LIFE) and Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) on Tuesday each unveiled next-generation DNA sequencing systems that boast the ability to sequence the entire human genome in about one day.

Life Technologies said its benchtop Ion Proton Sequencer will be able to sequence the genome at a cost of $1,000. The instrument, priced at $149,000, is available for order. The company plans to release a semiconductor chip for exome sequencing mid-year and a chip for whole genome sequencing six months later. Details were not disclosed. ...