That being said, depending on how long it takes to be approved, the Proton might go down in medical history as the first sequencer to roughly hit the magical $1,000-per-human-genome mark, but it may already be replaced by the next round of machines before it ever has a chance to directly help patients. Being able to read those cells helps us understand, at a much deeper level, the types of cancer a patient might be dealing with and can identify genetic predisposition for cancer. As those health conditions arise, DNA can be checked to offer doctors a deeper understanding of their patients. After all, health conditions will come and go, but DNA is a lifelong blueprint. According to Life Technologies, the sensor and sample prep kit come out to about $1,000 total, and the Proton is a small unit, so it's not exactly an energy hog. 4) It may have a small strong smell, but it is highly effective. That's not to say genome sequencing can predict that a given patient will have a heart attack or become an alcoholic, but it can warn that person if he or she is at greater risk.
