Lab Notebook – October 7, 2012

So-called whole genome sequencing is already available for between about $4,000 and $10,000. "The early adopters that are getting this done now are those who have this incredible curiosity about their genetic makeup, about their potential genetic destiny," said Jay Flatley, who heads Illumina Inc., of San Diego. Illumina even recently started offering an iPad app that people can use to learn more about whole genome sequencing and their own genomes. In September, the company announced a new service that could deliver a genome in two weeks. So far sequencing is being used primarily only to diagnose mysterious medical conditions and help treat cancer patients, and by scientists, biotech executives and other people who can afford the out-of-pocket cost. But the price is plummeting, and many are predicting the $1,000 genome is coming soon. And when that happens sequencing could become much more common.

Office chat systems are known as "Enterprise Social Networks" which basically means a closed network to communicate on, that only you and your team can see. These can be fun and productive, but what if your company was reading and analyzing them? Recently, two major enterprise networks, Yammer and Chatter, partnered with sentiment analysis companies. The goal is to monitor office conversations to take the pulse of employee engagement. Nora Young speaks with HR expert Ian Cook about social analytics in the workplace.