IonPersonalGenomeMachine

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  • Ion Personal Genome Machine: the DNA sequencer with an iPod dock

    by 
    Donald Melanson
    Donald Melanson
    12.23.2010

    We're still struggling to find the speakers on this thing, but Life Technologies' new Ion Personal Genome Machine does at least have one big advantage over most other iPod docks: it's... a personal genome machine. Curiously, the company itself isn't doesn't seem to be talking up the iPod dock at all, but MedGadget reports that it can be used to explore a genome and check on the status of given sequencing run with either an iPhone or iPod touch. As for the device itself, while it's still only designed for research use and "not intended for animal or human therapeutic or diagnostic use," the company does have some pretty grand designs for the future. According to Ion Torrent founder Dr. Jonathan M. Rothberg, the company hopes to eventually do nothing short of doing for DNA sequencing what digital cameras did for photography. Head on past the break for the complete press release.