Illumina Announces 100,000 SNPs on a Single BeadChip; New Assay Enables Unlimited Multiplexing for Fixed-Content Genotyping
Businesswire, Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 16:08
SAN DIEGO, Apr 21, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) announced today the first in a line of fixed-content genotyping products based on a revolutionary new assay and Sentrix(R) BeadChip configuration. This line of microarrays will allow large-scale interrogation of variation in the human genome at many levels of resolution, accelerating the ability of researchers to cost-effectively unlock the genetic basis of disease. The first product will target at least 100,000 SNPs located in high-value genetic regions of human genome.
These whole-genome genotyping products further extend the utility of Illumina's BeadLab and BeadStation systems currently being marketed for custom genotyping and gene expression studies. The new assay targets the growing market opportunity for fixed-content genotyping and complements the GoldenGateTM custom genotyping assay. The genome-wide assay, combined with the dense geometry of the BeadChip, will allow Illumina to deploy products capable of analyzing the full array of haplotype tag SNPs once they are defined by the International HapMap Project, for which Illumina is both a principal contributor and major platform supplier. BeadChip platform flexibility enables rapid development of additional configurations that can support content strategies balancing the number of SNPs with number of samples analyzed.
Illumina's new assay protocol features single-tube sample preparation and does not require PCR or ligation steps, significantly reducing labor and potential sample-handling errors. The ability to analyze hundreds of thousands of high-value SNPs at a low cost per data point will equip researchers with an important set of tools for studying the genetic association between affected and control populations. The assay's enzymatic discrimination provides high call rates and accuracy with unconstrained locus selection. The assay can also be scaled to unlimited levels of multiplexing without compromising data quality, unlike most alternative assays which are dependent on PCR amplification."In little more than a year, BeadArray(TM) technology has emerged as an industry standard for high-throughput genotyping, with leading assay conversion, call rates, and accuracy,"asserted Jay Flatley, Illumina president and CEO."Our new whole-genome SNP genotyping solution has the potential to achieve equally compelling performance for fixed-set genotyping. The new BeadChip will provide scientists the ability to query, in parallel, a high-value set of over 100,000 SNPs and for the first time, enable meaningful, single-chip-based disease association studies. Adding the new BeadChip to our existing portfolio of solutions for custom genotyping and gene expression will help accelerate the drive to personalized medicine,"Flatley added.
In total, each whole-genome Sentrix BeadChip will contain over ten million features, distributed across a number of discrete array regions. With six-micron well-to-well spacing and three-micron features, Illumina's BeadArray technology offers the densest available microarray geometries. Leveraging this dense geometry, the SNP genotyping BeadChip will contain over 200,000 sequence-specific bead types (each locus requires two allele-specific probe sequences), with greater than thirty times average redundancy of each bead, or feature."Our whole-genome SNP genotyping offering extends our growing portfolio of end-to-end genetic analysis solutions,"noted Susan Eddins, head of worldwide marketing."Illumina continues to invest in array and assay development, working collaboratively with life scientists to expand both the scale and performance of genetic research while dramatically lowering the cost. Our new products will open the door to the next generation of association studies, haplotype analysis, and genetic discovery."Illumina will provide additional detail about the new assay at an upcoming scientific meeting, The Biology of the Genomes, to be held from May 12-16 at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, Kevin Gunderson, Ph.D. will present"Whole-Genome Genotyping on Arrays."The complete offering of the new assay protocol, BeadChips, reagents and automation tools are expected to be in testing at customer sites by yearend. The new arrays are part of an expanding set of integrated solutions -- built around a common set of core technologies -- that supports SNP genotyping and gene expression applications. Illumina is committed to offering scalable system solutions and flexible content to address a broad range of research requirements.
Illumina (www.illumina.com) is developing next-generation tools that permit large-scale analysis of genetic variation and function. The Company's proprietary BeadArray technology -- now used in leading genomics centers around the world -- provides the throughput, cost effectiveness and flexibility to enable researchers in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries to analyze the billions of data points necessary to extract valuable information that may advance the human condition."Safe Harbor"Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: this release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are Illumina's ability to develop and obtain market acceptance for its Sentrix BeadChip whole genome microarrays, its ability to continue to improve its BeadArray and Oligator technologies, the Company's ability to reproducibly manufacture Array Matrices and BeadChips and to reconfigure these platforms to other geometries, the Company's ability to successfully build out international sales and support organizations, the Company's ability to develop and deploy new applications for its platform technology, and other factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q or in information disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which are released beforehand. Illumina disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements beyond the date of this release. |
