We are on the verge of a revolution in our understanding of human biology, being driven by the push for the $1000 genome. As the ability to sequence complete human DNA grows ever cheaper, genetic information will be increasingly relied upon by doctors and other healthcare professionals. Yet we remain woefully lacking in our ability to analyze full human genome sequence data and to provide pragmatic interpretations of it that are digestible by individuals and the medical professionals that take care of them.
Stanford law professor Hank Greely has written about an impending shortage of trained professionals to help people and their doctors understand their own genomic information as the ever decreasing cost of producing a complete genome scan makes it possible to routinely do so for more and more people.
As advances in genetic technologies enable more personalized medicine, there will be a growing demand for people trained in the application of pharmacogenetic technologies as well as in these professions:
Here are some resources for clinical genetics.
Some recent news today (14 Jan 10) from deep sequencing companies pertaining to the upcoming explosion in whole human genome sequence data. They project several thousand genomes this year, with up to a million in 5 years:
* Complete Genomics Nears Commercial Launch; Eyes Thousands of Genomes in 2010 (GenomeWeb)
* Illumina and Complete Genomics Competing for Sequencing Dominance (Singlularity Hub)