John Burton
New technology (Ilumina Genome Analyser) Sequencing
John trained in planetary and space physics before embarking on a career in the life sciences. John had long had a keen interest in other aspects of science: at eight years old he saw his first electron microscope. After leaving university, John worked for the Medical Research Council for the summer (where his mum also worked) and there John met Jane Rogers who was Head of Sequencing at the Sanger Institute. John joined the Sanger Institute when there were only fifteen people in the sequencing group, and he is now Illumina Sequencing Production Co-ordinator. He manages a lab group that specialises in producing DNA sequence using the latest commercial technology. John's previous team have sequenced the mouse and zebrafish genomes, and contributed one twelfth of the human genome sequence. The latest technology allows genomes, exomes, and transcriptomes to be sequenced hundreds of times faster than previous technology allowed, and for a fraction of the cost.
