Individual genome sequencing will soon be accessible on a broad scale in Australia, with the world-first purchase of a high-tech sequencing machine.

Sydney's Garvan Institute has become one of the first organisations in the world to purchase a sequencing machine that brings the cost of mapping an individual's genome down to less than $1,000.

A decade ago, it cost more than $1 billion for a team of scientists around the world to map the entire human genome.

The Garvan Institute's Professor John Mattick says the Illumina sequencing system means around 18,000 individual genomes could be sequenced every year.

"We can now really roll up our sleeves and start to explore genetic variation in the population to understand normal human biology and disease," he said.

Professor Mattick says individual sequencing will allow doctors to tailor a patient's treatment to their specific genes.