Dr. Sanger, meet Mr. Moore

Since 2005, so-called next-generation sequencing machines have given biologists the ability to sequence everfaster and ever-cheaper [1, 2]. In the medium term, as these machines are sold to hospitals and companies selling personalized genomic tests, this phenomenon is likely to have a profound effect on medical care [3]. However, these machines are finding wide use in fundamental biology too. Here too, they are likely to have effects on the production of biological knowledge. This Commentary is an attempt to begin a discussion about what these effects might be. Next-generation machines have depended on advances in laser optics, solid-state electronics, and chip-engineering that have drawn biology into a race for more nucleotides per dollar. If – as is often claimed – this is a ‘‘Moore’s Law for biology’’, we might be able to understand more about the effects of nextgeneration by understanding some of the origins and history of Moore’s Law. The massive drops in cost and increases in computing power since the mid-1960s have had profound consequences for what a computer is and what we can do with one. Similar changes may be in store for biology. A brief history of Moore’s Law