Outpaced by innovation

Phase

Canceled

Outpaced by innovation

$10 Million

Prize Purse

$10 million will be awarded to the first team to rapidly, accurately and economically sequence 100 whole human genomes to an unprecedented level of accuracy.

The result was going to be the world's first "medical grade” genome, a critically needed clinical standard that would transform genomic research into usable medical information to improve patient diagnosis and treatment.

Grand Challenge

This global competition was expected to inspire breakthrough genome sequencing innovations and technologies that would usher in a new era of personalized medicine. 

How to Win

Sequence 100 human genomes within 30 days to an accuracy of 1 error per 1,000,000 bases, with 98% completeness, identification of insertions, deletions and rearrangements, and a complete haplotype, at an audited total cost of $1,000 per genome.

Overview Video

Teams

Ion Torrent in Guilford, CT


Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering in Boston, MA

Impact

Although the competition was cancelled, the XPRIZE foundation collected blood samples and created cell-lines to preserve the DNA from more than 100 centenarians. Those genomes are expected to be sequenced nonetheless and put into an open data forum.

Prize Activity

Jun 16 2014
New Study Aims to Rapidly Test Lung Cancer Drugs
Jun 12 2014
China's Genomics Success Shows Big Data Challenges
See All Prize Activity