This was renowned Harvard University genomic expert (who was among the first scientists to advocate on the work of human genomic sequencing in the 1980s) said of HELICOS, as of yesterday, Sept. 23, 2009.

Read the "Moving Target" paragraph: George Church made it very clear: despite all other promises, RIGHT NOW, Helicos is clearly the undisputed leaders, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.....

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Helicos Mapped RNA to Show Gene Roots of Disease, Build Better Treatments

by on September 23, 2009
By Elizabeth Lopatto Sept. 23 (Bloomberg) —

Scientists from Helicos BioScience Corp. have mapped RNA , a key player in each person’s genetic blueprint, in a step that may boost esearchers’ search for the roots of disease. The technique for
showing the sequence of RNA is more accurate than a previous method, which required the RNA sample to be converted to its cousin DNA before it could be measured, according to a report in the journal Nature today.

The technology will be commercially available as soon as next year and may benefit companies building new RNA-based drugs.

Being able to identify RNA directly will uncover some corresponding areas of DNA previously called “junk” that has turned out to have
valuable information, said Patrice Milos , the study’s head researcher. Many genetic markers of disease discovered in the last several years have been in the “junk” sections, said Milos, who is the
chief scientific officer of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Helicos.