- Expects to perform genome analysis for more than 1,000 persons with Illumina’s HiSeq X Ten
- Expects to provide the results of high-quality analysis by applying a state-of-the-art genome sample handling technique
- Expects to sign additional large-scale supply contracts as pilot services for major customers are complete
Macrogen (CEO Hyeongtae Kim, www.macrogen.com), a personalized-medicine biotechnology company, announced today that it has signed a large-scale Genome Sequencing Service Supply Agreement with the Centre for Genomic Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (hereinafter the HKU Centre for Genomic Sciences).
Under this agreement, Macrogen will supply genome analysis information for a minimum of 1,000 persons using the HiSeq X Ten sequencing system, which Illumina’s new next-generation sequencing platform, and the TruSeq synthetic long-read technology, a state-of-the-art sample preparation technology, by the end of the first half of next year. The HKU Centre for Genomic Sciences will conduct research utilizing the genome analysis data supplied by Macrogen on investigations into the causes of various diseases, along with diagnosis and treatments.
The HKU Centre for Genomic Sciences is a world-renowned research agency that continually discovers a wide range of research findings not only in genomics, but also in proteomics, bioinformatics, etc. It is now participating in the International HapMap Project, a joint effort of major genome research centers from around the world to research haplotype (the collection of a genome’s allelomorphic characters) related with human diseases and drugs. It made a significant contribution towards identifying the causes of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2003 and providing the diagnostic methods for it.
An official from the HKU Centre for Genomic Sciences said, "We have been successfully conducting a wide range of research projects utilizing Macrogen’s next-generation genome analysis services during the past several years," adding that "We have chosen Macrogen because it holds a wide range of state-of-the art platforms and research experiences."
Hyeongtae Kim, the CEO of Macrogen, said, "It is a pleasure to be able to supply large-scale genome analysis services using Macrogen’s HiSeq X Ten system to the HKU Centre for Genomic Sciences, which is participating in various global projects in the genomics research areas," adding that "Macrogen has been cooperating with Illumina to commercialize Illumina’s state-of-the art TruSeq synthetic long-read technology, which had been introduced as a Moleculo technology in Korea. Moreover, Macrogen is planning to apply the technology to large-scale genome sequencing services, the first in the industry, and supply high-quality genome analysis results."
As Macrogen has recently completed pilot services for HiSeq X Ten-d large-scale genome analysis services for our major customers at home and abroad, Macrogen is expecting to sign additional large-scale project agreements involving the analysis of genomes of between 100 and 1,000 persons. Earlier in this year, Macrogen became the first commercial service company in the world which acquire Illumina’s HiSeq X Ten System, and declared that "the $1,000 Genome era has arrived." Macrogen is working on increasing its capacity for genome analysis by 600% through the acquisition of the HiSeq X Ten system, and building the world’s best genome sequencing services system that can analyze genomes for more than 35,000 persons annually.
The performance of the HiSeq X Ten System which Macrogen adopted is 10 times more superior to that of the existing HiSeq 2500 System, Illumina’s main product, facilitating the analysis of genomes for more than 2,500 persons annually and and make it possible to analyze human whole genome sequencing within $1,000. In particular, as it has been optimized