Genome sequencing vs Malaysia petrol price

According to this report, the cost of sequencing all of the DNA that makes up the human blueprint has dropped from $3 billion (the US government-funded human genome project) to $300 million ran by Celera Group, the biotech that raced the US government to be first to sequence the human genetic code.

Just today, 454 Life Sciences, a unit of drug giant Roche Applied Science, announced that it has sequenced all the genetic material of James Watson, who co-discovered the structure of DNA 60 years ago, for less than $1 million. A rival biotech, Solexa under Illumina , says its new machine could probably do the same job for $100,000. Two other biotechs, Applied Biosystems and Helicos, are planning to roll out their own machines.

My two cents:
The sequencing cost per genome is dropped dramatically over 15 years.

USD$3billion -> $300million -> $1million ->$100k

But look at our Malaysian Petrol Price over 16 years since 1990

Before 90 - RM 0.89
Year 1990 - RM 1.10 (increased RM 0.21)
01/10/2000 - RM 1.20 (increased RM 0.10)
20/10/2001 - RM 1.30 (increased RM 0.10)
01/05/2002 - RM 1.32 (increased RM 0.02)
31/10/2002 - RM 1.33 (increased RM 0.01)
01/03/2003 - RM 1.35 (increased RM 0.02)
01/05/2004 - RM 1.37 (increased RM 0.02)
01/10/2004 - RM 1.42 (increased RM 0.05)
05/05/2005 - RM 1.52 (increased RM 0.10)
31/07/2005 - RM 1.62 (increased RM 0.10)
28/02/2006 - RM 1.92 (increased RM 0.30) = 0.56USD <- current price

??/??/08- RM 2.XX (increased RM X.XX)

For your reference, a middle rat-race salary sucker in Malaysia is about RM2200-3300.

One word, 2008 is a Shitty year for us again!!!

Don't bother the posts below, but if you are free, why not?

1. Sequence your genome for USD1000 in 10days
2. Don’t forget your blog’s visual pleasure
3. Gene matters again
4. Am I underpaid….or I am simply a poor man
5. Recession or no, Internet ad sales still booming