Andrew Han (ex-GenomWeb) and I recorded our first podcast last week, breaking down AGBT 2026. Andy was on the ground on the ground in Orlando, and I was camping out by the pool at the Biltmore Miami, providing remote moral support 🤣

My biggest takeaway: the sequencing market is splitting into two camps. One side wants beautiful, integrated, clinical-grade systems. The other side is saying: just give me lots of cheap reads and get out of my way - I'll build the value layer myself.

Roche's pricing made this concrete. $150 for a duplex genome, sure. But $0.06/million simplex reads?! That's the number that got people talking. 

Some highlights from the conversation:

- Illumina's TruPath (formerly known as Constellation) TruePath had impressive data but it's still early access (and it's their 4th attempt at this)

- Ultima Genomics quietly won a lot of people over. New instrument, no more monster ePCR cabinet. But what's the CPM Gilad?!

- The Complete Genomics/Swiss Rockets AG deal raised as many questions than it answered

- A core lab director said she "can't afford to wait a year" for a new mid-throughput instrument from Illumina

- Someone floated a wild rumor about an Illumina nanopore sequencer

- The best SWAG and (not-so) secret parties