How genome data is shaping the future of medicine

Companies such as Illumina are currently building databases with billions of individual cells. These experiments are the first to systematically show how genes function in different cell types and how they react to targeted genetic interventions. For pharmaceutical companies, this creates a kind of navigation map of human biology that visualises new targets for drugs. At the same time, the cost of sequencing is falling rapidly. New devices, such as the VITRI sequencer from Element Biosciences, should be able to analyse complete human genomes for around one hundred dollars. This brings us closer to a world in which genetic data will routinely become part of medical diagnostics. Gene editing itself is also changing. New platforms rely on modular kits that allow therapies to be customised to individual patients through minor adjustments. Start-ups such as Aurora Therapeutics are already working on such personalised approaches for rare genetic diseases. Together, they are creating a new value chain, from DNA sequences and AI analyses to customised therapies. For the biotechnology industry, this genomic infrastructure could become one of the most important innovation platforms of the coming decade.