genomeboy.com

For me (and it’s all about me, right?), one of the highlights of the Marco Island meeting beyond the amazing mango cheesecake was seeing an actual Polonator (note the human telomere sequence flowing out of it). Why should you care? Well, this is a DNA sequencing machine whose descendants will presumably yield 100,000 genomes (or at least exomes), including mine and perhaps yours. Even more interesting than the technology itself is the fact that the Polonator is open source:

The system’s operating software is fully documented and freely available for public download, as are the protocols and reagent sets. All aspects of the system are fully programmable, with parameters and sequences accessible and modifiable by its users to improve and extend the instrument. In addition, all subsystems are highly modular and easily upgraded and/or retrofitted; as a result, we fully anticipate that the instrument will evolve and improve over time. We expect a worldwide user community to develop and flourish, advancing both the design and the operational specifics of the platform, from which all users in turn will benefit.

The reactions to the open-source model from other next-gen types at the meeting ranged from unbridled enthusiasm (”a great idea”) to deep skepticism (”Who will support it?”) to bemusement/amusement (”sounds like another cute George Church concept–I have no idea if it will work”).

Jonathan Eisen has more on the Polonator as well as lots of other great stuff on Marco Island. He was also seen sporting a tee shirt that read “What Would Jesus Sequence?” An appropriate query, perhaps, in  the wake of Evolution Sunday.