Will 100 become the new 60?

Co-founders of San Diego based Human Longevity Inc., Peter Diamandis, left, J. Craig Venter, center, and Robert Hariri, right.

It was a bold prediction, even at a time when technology evolves with blinding speed:

Getting your genome sequenced will soon become as common as dropping by a doctors office for a blood test.

The forecast was made Tuesday by three men who have money riding on the outcome: La Jolla geneticist J. Craig Venter, New Jersey stem cell pioneer Dr. Robert Hariri and Peter Diamandis of Los Angeles, founder of the X-Prize Foundation.

They gathered in Venters seaside office to announce that they had founded Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI), which they say will quickly become the largest genome sequencing company in the world, surpassing even Chinas well-known Beijing Genomics Institute.

Venter said that HLI will begin by sequencing 40,000 genomes a year, then push production to 100,000. The work will be done with cutting edge technology from San Diegos Illumina, which has helped to slash the time and cost of sequencing peoples genomes.

Venter and other scientists believe that sequencing the genomes of hundreds of thousands of people will clearly reveal which genes cause disease and illness, leading to better diagnostics and treatment. HLI also will analyze a persons microbes and metabolites, providing doctors with a more comprehensive picture of the patients they treat.

The goal: Enable people to live longer, healthier lives.

100 will become the new 60, Diamandis said in a moment of exuberance.

The remark came as all three men paused to discussion the future of genomic medicine with U-T San Diego.

See the original post:
Will 100 become the new 60?