Other contenders for the X Prize:

Micah Atkin
Chief scientist, MycroLab
The Australian startup has developed a "lab on a chip", a handheld device based on the "microfluidics" principle. It can conduct a variety of lab tests including DNA sequencing and diabetes diagnosis within an hour. Its simplicity means that it can be used in the field with very little training needed.

Stephen Johnston
Codirector, Biodesign Institute
Johnston's finger-prick blood test takes an "antibody signature": a sample of the antibodies in your blood that can indicate exposure to diseases. The test would provide a wellness report on one's immune system. The US Department of Defense has awarded Johnston $30 million to deploy the device.

Graham Ewing
CEO, Montague Healthcare
Virtual Scanning technology detects changes in the type of light reflected by the eye -- colour imbalances signal the presence of specific proteins, such as glycated proteins associated with diabetes. The cognitive colour-perception test may also determine other pathologies.

Anita Goel
CEO, Nanobiosym 
The company has built Gene-RADAR, a handheld device that can read unique genetic fingerprints. This means it can instantly detect a range of diseases based on their DNA or RNA signatures, from samples as small as a drop of blood or saliva, with no need for a lab. Each Gene-RADAR test costs $10 (£6). 

Michael Barnathan
CTO, Living Discoveries
Living Discoveries' device will integrate passive data from photos, videos and sensors -- so it can detect symptoms such as an abnormal gait, a key indicator of Parkinson's disease. Its AI can analyse and integrate this data to produce a customised health report and even send real-time alerts to doctors. 

Earlier X Prizes

The Ansari
X Prize
The original X Prize, launched in May 1996, aimed to create a private space-flight vehicle. The prize was won, on October 4, 2004, by the Scaled Composites' Tier One project using the SpaceShipOne craft, designed by American Burt Rutan. His team was awarded $10 million. Over $100 million was invested in new technologies in pursuit of the prize.

Google Lunar 
X Prize
The prize will go to the first team to land a robot on the Moon, have it travel 500m over the Moon's surface and successfully send video, images and data to Earth. It was announced at the 2007 US Wired NextFest and offers $30 million in prizes. Twenty-five teams are taking part. The prize expires when the money's won, or at the end of 2015 (whichever's first).

The Progressive Insurance
Automotive X Prize
The engineering competition was launched in 2007, to create a fuel-efficient "clean" car that gets 2.35l-per-100km efficiency, produces under 140g per km CO2 emissions, and could be mass marketed. There were several winners, announced on September 16, 2010, including Edison2, which won the $5 million Mainstream Class prize for its Very Light Car. 

The Archon Genomics
X Prize
This challenges teams to sequence 100 whole human genomes of 100 centenarians within 30 days, with an accuracy rate of at least 98 percent, and at a cost of no more than $1,000 per genome. The "100 Over 100" target aims to identify genes that protect against disease, while giving researchers clues to health and longevity. Prize announced in October 2013.

Jesse Sunenblick is a writer based in Mexico. He's working on a book about the limits of human knowledge in the information age

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