Complete Compute: An interview with Complete Genomics' Bruce Martin

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Martin’s latest challenge—building the IT and informatics infrastructure at Complete Genomics (see, “Will the Gene Microscope Change the World,” Bio-IT World, May 2009) to build a human genome sequencing service capable of delivering 1 million genomes in five years—is a doozy! If he’s having sleepless nights, he doesn’t show it. “It’s about crafting the right team with the right mix of skills and knowledge, and trusting them.” Recruited by CEO Cliff Reid, Martin didn’t hesitate. “For about a decade, I’d wanted to find something with a stronger footprint in the sciences, but also where I could contribute. So it seemed like a perfect marriage.” Martin brought the expertise in software development and high-scale computing, and built a team of bioinformatics experts, experts in genomics, assembly, and large-scale scientific computing.
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 We’ll have very reliable, redundantly connected connectivity at hundreds of gigabits at a fraction of the equivalent Internet connection. As we grow, we will be able to scale into hundreds, or multiple hundreds of gigabits per second [gbps] in 2010. That’s a function of how much data the instruments generate. Our cost, scale and reliability analysis indicate that we are better off putting most of our compute offsite. These instruments throw off a lot of data! [...]

Related Links

• Complete Genomics Sequences 14 Genomes
• Complete Genomics website
• Will the Gene Microscope Change the World? (Bio-IT World)