John Mattick (1), Branwen Morgan (2)
(1) Executive Director, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney
(2) Visiting Fellow, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney
We are on the brink of a revolution in healthcare. Genomics soon will help us not just cure but also predict and even prevent diseases such as diabetes, dementia, cancer and heart disease. And it’s just the start. With enough data on the population’s genetic make-up, breakthroughs in other diseases and mental illness will be almost unlimited.
The technology to gather this data is, for the first time, accessible and relatively cheap. A person’s entire DNA sequence — three billion letters of genetic code — now can be read in Australia in just a few days for about $1500.
The benefits of whole genome sequencing to patients are extraordinary …
