MIT Technology Review Names Princeton Professor Sneha Goenka Innovator of the Year for Breakthrough Sequencing Tech

Breaking News: MIT Technology Review Names Sneha Goenka Innovator of the Year Sneha Goenka, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Princeton University, has been named 2025 Innovator of the Year by MIT Technology Review for developing ultra-fast sequencing technology. This groundbreaking system can provide a genetic diagnosis in less than eight hours, revolutionizing patient care. A Breakthrough in Speed Goenka's rapid-sequencing pipeline was designed five years ago with her colleagues. The innovation lies in her software computations and hardware architectures, which speed up each stage of the process. This technology has the potential to save critically ill children who are currently diagnosed too slowly. According to Jeroen de Ridder, a professor at UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands, "Sneha's work made everyone realize that genome sequencing is not only for research and medical application in the future but can have immediate impact on patient care." Immediate Impact The implications of this technology are vast. Up to a quarter of children entering intensive care have undiagnosed genetic conditions. With Goenka's system, hospitals may soon be able to provide timely diagnoses, allowing for proper treatment and potentially saving lives. Background Context Genome sequencing is a crucial tool in medical research and diagnosis. However, the process typically takes up to seven weeks, which can be too slow for critically ill patients. This technology has the potential to bridge this gap, providing immediate results that can inform treatment decisions. What's Next As Goenka's innovation gains recognition, it is likely to spark further development in the field of ultra-fast sequencing. Hospitals and research institutions may soon adopt this technology, paving the way for faster diagnoses and better patient outcomes. *This story is developing. Information compiled from Technologyreview reporting.*