Oxford Nanopore Technologies has developed a new fast, inexpensive human-genome-sequencing system that uses “nanopore sequencing” to eliminate much of the time and expense of sample preparation, and eliminate the fluorescent molecules typically used to label DNA bases.

The researchers are aiming for the $1,000 genome by 2014. The hope is that by bringing the price of sequencing down to that range, individuals could afford to have their genomes recorded, allowing doctors to tailor treatments to their particular genetic makeup.