Illumina to Donate US $60 Million in Sequencing Capabilities to Establish a Global Pathogen Genomics Initiative
April 28 2021 - 9:05AM
Business Wire
Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) has committed US $60 million in
sequencing capabilities to a global pathogen genomics initiative,
in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and
other public and private entities. The initiative expands on the
Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI) announced in
October 2020, and will help create a comprehensive pathogen genomic
network around the world, building critical public health
capabilities in areas of need.
Illumina will donate next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms,
reagents, and training support worth approximately US $60 million
over five years. The expanded scope will begin with a focus on
South Asia, equipping national public health institutions with
better public health tools, bringing us closer to the vision of an
early warning system for global pathogens.
“Rapidly identifying outbreaks and tracking their spread and
evolution will save lives around the world and is essential to
strengthening health care systems,” said Francis deSouza, Chief
Executive Officer of Illumina. “Genomics has the power to
revolutionize the way public health entities manage biological
threats, and this global initiative will help make NGS technology
and expertise accessible in areas of need.”
“Expanding access to pathogen sequencing will accelerate efforts
to detect new epidemics before they spread widely and to monitor
their transmission in real time for more targeted and precise
response. Pathogen sequencing will also contribute to research and
development efforts for new vaccines, diagnostics and treatments
for current and emerging infectious diseases,” said Trevor Mundel,
President of Global Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“It’s critical to empower scientists in South Asia, like we’re
doing in Africa, with the tools they need to stay one step ahead of
pathogens.”
The model for the global initiative builds upon the framework of
Africa PGI by bringing together key partners from public health
institutions, government, private industry, and local labs to
create a comprehensive ecosystem of support for successful genomics
adoption, which extends beyond simply dropping in new technology.
The initiative will consider issues such as logistics, training,
and sustainability, and will expand by country depending on
maturity and needs. Prioritized pathogens will be unique to each
country or region, as the initiative empowers individual countries
to drive the program according to their specific needs and
priorities.
Genomics can enable early detection of novel viruses by rapidly
characterizing new pathogens directly from specimens. Building
pathogen genomics capabilities globally protects the health of
everyone, since a threat in one place can quickly become a threat
everywhere. In the future, genomics has the potential to
concurrently provide comprehensive diagnosis of infections,
antimicrobial resistance information, and pathogen surveillance for
known and emerging threats.
About Illumina
Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the
genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as the global
leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving
customers in the research, clinical, and applied markets. Our
products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology,
reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging segments. To
learn more, visit www.illumina.com and connect with us on Twitter,
Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
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