Archon Genomics X Prize

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The Archon Genomics X Prize was a $ 10 million scientific competition run by the American X-Prize Foundation with the task of deciphering the genome of a hundred over centenarians who are particularly robust and healthy. In addition to a significant reduction in DNA sequencing costs with a considerable increase in the speed of analysis and a very high level of accuracy and completeness, the competition should also provide information about the genetic characteristics of particularly healthy and long-lived people. The motto of the price 100 Over 100 (dt. 100 through 100 ) described the selected for sequencing group of 100 over 100-year-old man and the content of the subsequent database with its fully decoded genomes .

The Archon Genomics X Prize was canceled on August 22, 2013 on the grounds that the task was overtaken by technical innovation.

Gerontologists from Heidelberg University as well as scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the Heidelberg University Hospital participated in Germany .

Task

Technical task

In its final form and highest category (Grand Prize), a total price of 10 million dollars will be offered to competitors,

  • the complete genome of a hundred people, i.e. their complete DNA with their genetic information
  • in 10 days or less,
  • be able to sequence each completely (at least 98%),
  • whereby the error rate must be less than 1 error per 10,000 bases.
  • The cost per single sequencing can not exceed $ 10,000.

In this respect, the competition is a genetic engineering competition with very high requirements in terms of speed, accuracy and cost efficiency.

Object of investigation and objective

All teams that will participate in the competition will receive samples from the same 100 people.

These 100 people will be over 100 years of age who must still be very vigorous and in very good health. The 100 people are selected by Thomas Perls, an age researcher from Boston University .

Age researchers from the USA , Australia , Italy , India , Japan , Spain and Germany can nominate for this selection :

  • people over 100 years old,
  • who are willing to voluntarily provide samples of their genome for analysis of the DNA sequence and for publication of the results
  • and who are also willing to answer questions about their circumstances and attitudes towards life.

The selection of 100 people from a larger pool is intended, among other things, to prevent a competitor from getting the DNA in advance.

In this respect, the award provided the incentive to create a database with 100 proven, particularly well-functioning sets of genes and is intended to enable researchers to learn more about the genetic basis of health and longevity.

The data from 100 over 100 should be made available to scientists from all over the world by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute for General Medical Sciences (USA) from 2014 onwards .

Prices

The Grand Prize should be awarded according to the following criteria:

  • If only one team meets all the requirements of the competition, it will receive the $ 10 million alone.
  • If two teams meet all requirements, the first team receives $ 7.5 million and the second $ 2.5 million.
  • If three teams reach all goals, the first receives 7 million, the second 2 million and the third 1 million dollars from the prize money.

If no team can complete the entire task, category prizes can be earned. To win a category award, a team must sequence the specified 100 genomes in 30 days or less, and a single sequencing cannot cost more than $ 10,000.

  • Completeness : The first team to sequence the 100 genomes with an error rate of no more than 1 error to 1,000,000 bases and to manage at least 95 percent of the genetic material receives 5 million dollars.
  • Accuracy : The first team to sequence 98 percent of the 100 genomes with an error rate of no more than 1 error per 100,000 bases will receive $ 3 million.
  • Haplotype phasing : If a team manages the complete haplotype phasing of all chromosomes , it receives 1 million dollars.

Events

Nominations for the 100 people to be selected ended on December 31, 2012. The closing date for entries for contestants was May 31, 2012. Entry costs 25,000 dollars. The sequencing should take place from September 5, 2013 to October 4, 2013. On August 22, 2013, the institute announced that the competition would be canceled prematurely due to the rapid technological development that is overtaking the goal of the X-Price.

Donors and supporters

The prize money was donated by Stewart Blusson, co-discoverer and co-owner of the Ekati diamond mine and chairman of archon Minerals, and his wife Marilyn.

The competition was supported by

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://genomics.xprize.org/competition-details/prize-overview
  2. ↑ Press release announcing that the competition will be canceled
  3. ↑ Heidelberg University press release on the topic and the university's participation in the project from November 2, 2012
  4. ↑ Helene Pawlitzki: Wrinkle Research. Scientists all over the world are looking for 100 fit people over 100. They want to test new methods of gene decoding on them - and uncover the secret of old age. in Financial Times Deutschland of December 4, 2012, p. 28
  5. ↑ http://genomics.xprize.org/competition-details/frequently-asked-questions
  6. ↑ Heidelberg University press release on the topic and the university's participation in the project from November 2, 2012
  7. ↑ Competition rule section 3.1, p. 4 (PDF; 358 kB)
  8. ↑ a b Archon Genomics X Prize: Competition Fact Sheet (PDF; 636 kB)
  9. ↑ http://genomics.xprize.org/about/stewart-marilyn-blusson