The success of genomic-based personalized medicine depends on a new approach in genetics research.

In the past, the identification and sequencing of a single gene often took decades and consumed entire careers. Now it can be accomplished in weeks or even days. Vastly increased DNA-sequencing capabilities mean that entire genetic systems and gene networks can be investigated, and complex interactions important to health and disease identified.

With today's available computing power, it is now possible to sequence a genome in days, for about $4,000. But it has become far easier to sequence a genome than to get useful information from it, and as the number of sequences increases, the need for better analysis will become more and more acute. The solution is found in the field of bioinformatics, which uses computing horsepower to handle, compare and analyze all the genomic data. Spotting patterns within billions of data points and across thousands of genomic data sets is a monumental undertaking. There have already been interesting discoveries, but the associating genomes and disease states is still at its very early stage.