Single-molecule DNA sequencing technologies for future genomics research

During the current genomics revolution, the genomes of a large number of living organisms have been fully sequenced. However, with the advent of new sequencing technologies, genomics research is now at the threshold of a second revolution. Several second-generation sequencing platforms became available in 2007, but a further revolution in DNA resequencing technologies is being witnessed in 2008, with the launch of the first single-molecule DNA sequencer (Helicos Biosciences), which has already been used to resequence the genome of the M13 virus. This review discusses several single-molecule sequencing technologies that are expected to become available during the next few years and explains how they might impact on genomics research.