- Macrogen is the only Korean company among the four companies worldwide serving as a partner for the launch of Illumina’s latest NovaSeq X, unveiled on the 29th.
- As the cost of whole-genome sequencing is driven down to 200 dollars, a new turning point in genomic medicine is marked; The $100 genome is likely to become a reality in the near future.
The NovaSeq X series by Illumina
Macrogen, a biotechnology company specializing in precision medicine announced on September 30 that it has become one of the world’s first partners of Illumina, one of the world’s largest manufacturer of genome sequencers, in launching the latter’s latest high-precision equipment.
The four global partners of Illumina in launching its latest NovaSeq X are Macrogen, the Broad Institute jointly established by MIT and Harvard University, the Icelandic bioengineering company deCODE genetics and the U.S.-d Regeneron Genetics Center. Among them, Macrogen is the only Korean company.
Earlier on September 29 (local time) at the Genome Forum held in San Diego, U.S.A., Illumina unveiled its NovaSeq X series featuring the latest in innovative technologies, with a three-fold greater accuracy and a two-fold higher throughput than those of existing sequencers. ‘NovaSeq X Plus’ has dramatically increased the annual throughput for genome sequencing from approximately 8,000 to over 20,000 whole genomes, marking a 2.5 times increase. The revolutionary technology is expected to offer a dramatic turning point in the advance of genomic medicine, including treatments for cancer and genetic diseases, precision therapy and pandemic response, ultimately promoting better health for mankind.
Macrogen, a biotechnology company specializing in precision medicine announced on September 30 that it has become one of the world’s first partners of Illumina, one of the world’s largest manufacturer of genome sequencers, in launching the latter’s latest high-precision equipment.
The four global partners of Illumina in launching its latest NovaSeq X are Macrogen, the Broad Institute jointly established by MIT and Harvard University, the Icelandic bioengineering company deCODE genetics and the U.S.-d Regeneron Genetics Center. Among them, Macrogen is the only Korean company.
Earlier on September 29 (local time) at the Genome Forum held in San Diego, U.S.A., Illumina unveiled its NovaSeq X series featuring the latest in innovative technologies, with a three-fold greater accuracy and a two-fold higher throughput than those of existing sequencers. ‘NovaSeq X Plus’ has dramatically increased the annual throughput for genome sequencing from approximately 8,000 to over 20,000 whole genomes, marking a 2.5 times increase. The revolutionary technology is expected to offer a dramatic turning point in the advance of genomic medicine, including treatments for cancer and genetic diseases, precision therapy and pandemic response, ultimately promoting better health for mankind.
Offering dramatic improvement from existing sequencers in terms of speed, scale, accuracy, and sustainability, the NovaSeq X series specifically offer a marked improvement in the following areas:
- 2x higher speed and up to 3x greater accuracy;
- 2.5x greater throughput, thanks to the highest-resolution optics and ultra-high density flow cells;
- Highly accurate and fully automated secondary analysis with 5x lossless data compression;
- Reduction in the waste of packaging with more thermostable reagents.
With over 1,000 industry insiders including Nobel laureates and leading researchers in biotechnology in attendance, the CEO of Illumina Francis de Souza explained, "Innovations like NovaSeq X are at the heart of how we will transform patient lives, and this groundbreaking technology will empower researchers, scientists, and clinicians in the fight to diagnose, treat – and eventually cure – disease while making genomics more sustainable and accessible to millions more people around the world."
"Macrogen is dedicated to becoming a leader in the field of personal whole genome sequencing. The newly launched NovaSeq X series will further accelerate the progress in this field, to eventually open up an ear of $100 genomes. This is in line with the motto that Macrogen aspires to, of ‘humanizing genomics’. The latest sequencer will help us unlock the power of genomics to advance our understanding of human health and improve outcomes for patients around the world, d on a a genetic blueprint," Chairman of Macrogen, one of the four partner organizations adopting NovaSeq X Plus, Jeongsun Seo explained.
"The advance of sequencing technologies—such as Illumina's NovaSeq X—and the prospect of higher-quality, lower-cost sequencing will enable us to increase the sample size, power, and diversity of research cohorts, including population biobanks, and further push boundaries of genomics through the acceleration of clinical WGS across a variety of settings," said Stacey Gabriel, PhD, Chief Genomics Officer and Senior Director of the Genomics Platform at Broad Institute.
"The new NovaSeq X is going to allow us to sequence the genomes of whole nations," added Kári Stefánsson, Founder and CEO of deCODE genetics.
"The power, scale, efficiency, and sustainability of the NovaSeq X platform will rapidly accelerate our aspirational efforts to sequence tens of millions of exomes and genomes to identify novel drug targets and advance therapeutics in development through precision genomics," said John Overton, PhD, Vice President and Chief Sequencing Officer of the Regeneron Genetics Center.
Meanwhile, Macrogen plans to gear up for bringing in five units of the NovaSeq X series next year to re-affirm its dominant position in the Korean market for genome sequencing while boosting its competitiveness to the level on par with the world’s leading companies to promote global revenue growth.