History of DNA sequencing technologies

Abstract

DNA sequencing technologies have a relatively short history – with the first published report in 1973 – a mere 39 years. But what a history! In 1973, Walter Gilbert and Allan Maxam published the 24 base pair sequence of the lac operator using chemical sequencing techniques Gilbert and Maxam (Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 70(12):3581–3584, 1973). Through innovation and automation, we are now able in 2012 to sequence the entire human genome (three billion base pairs) in a little more than a week. This chapter will review this short but amazing story of brute force, automation, and innovation from its infancy to the present. Sufficeit to say that advances and technological leaps are continuing apace and this chapter will be outdated by the time you are reading it.