Ion Torrent has reported that it will provide two Personal Genome Machine (PGM) sequencers in April 2010 through a grant program designed to help make DNA sequencing accessible to all scientists.
The Ion PGM Sequencer Grant Program was designed to foster the development of new applications for DNA sequencing that leverage the instrument’s speed, scalability and low cost. The Ion PGM sequencer can do a run in about an hour, offer semiconductor scalability and is one tenth the price of other sequencers to buy and to run.
The Ion PGM sequencer, which is expected to be launched in 2010, uses a new sequencing technology that brings the transformative power of the semiconductor to the life sciences.
Ion Torrent technology directly translates chemically encoded information (A,C,G,T) into digital information (0, 1) on a semiconductor chip. The result of the approach is a sequencing system that is simpler, faster, more cost effective and scalable than any other technology available.
Jonathan Rothberg, founder and CEO of Ion Torrent, said: “Ion Torrent technology enables scientists to do experiments they never thought were possible, and that freedom will foster innovation and drive breakthroughs in research. We look forward to working with scientists around the world to create applications that will transform healthcare.”