Knome Introduces Personal Genomics’ First Comprehensive Gene Sequencing Service

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Knome, a leading specialty personal genomics company, today announced the launch of KnomeSELECT™, the industry’s first comprehensive gene sequencing service. Priced at $24,500 for individuals, and $19,500 per person for couples and families, the new service allows consumers to obtain the sequence of their genes and a customized analysis of the results. This offering represents an important milestone in personal genomics as it brings the retail cost of gene sequencing and analysis to under $1.00 per gene.

“Now that we have the technology to focus on sequencing the 20,000 genes in the human genome—the part of the genome that contains the blueprint for making proteins—our services are becoming affordable to a much larger audience,” said Jorge Conde, CEO of Knome. “What just several years ago was available only to the extremely wealthy is now within the reach of a broader range of individuals seeking to understand more about the health and well-being of themselves and their loved ones.”

Unlike low-priced SNP-based genotyping, which captures genetic changes known as common variants by taking a sample of less than 0.05% of the genome, comprehensive gene sequencing captures the entire coding region of an individual’s genes, collectively known as the exome, enabling the detection of rare variants – mutations that many scientists believe account for the majority of the genetic burden of disease.

“What I find particularly compelling about this product is that at this price point, we can now sequence entire families,” said George Church, PhD, a co-founder of the firm and Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. “This allows us to track gene-specific inheritance patterns across generations, identify shared traits and explore common ancestry. In certain cases, a comparative analysis between healthy and affected individuals within a family can potentially lead to the identification of implicated genes, which could help further advance scientific understanding of a specific condition. Comprehensive gene mapping of families also enables the detection of new mutations that may not have been inherited but rather have arisen spontaneously in an individual. Further, family-based genomics could benefit young couples by identifying potential disease genes that might be carried by healthy individuals but that could be passed down to future generations.”

The company’s innovative tools and platforms are enabling entirely new approaches to family-based genetics. “Knome has already sequenced couples and families and is collaborating with leading medical and academic centers to conduct groundbreaking research, including a search for specific disease genes in a large family affected by Parkinson's disease” said Ari Kiirikki, Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Knome.

About Knome

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Knome is a personal genomics company focused on providing state-of-the-art sequencing and analysis solutions. The firm has the distinction of being the first company to offer complete genome (KnomeCOMPLETE™) and comprehensive gene (KnomeSELECT™) sequencing and analysis services. To date, Knome has been responsible for sequencing the genome of more humans than any company in the world. Working alongside leading geneticists, clinicians and bioinformaticians, Knome empowers its clients to understand and control their own genomic information in a manner that is both anonymous and secure. Knome is a privately funded company. Visit www.knome.com for more information.

Knome, KnomeSELECT and KnomeCOMPLETE are trademarks of Knome, Inc.