Businessweek

Illumina, Inc. operates as a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of life science tools and integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and function. The company, using its proprietary technologies, provides a line of genetic analysis solutions, with products and services that serve a range of interconnected markets, including sequencing, genotyping, and gene expression. Its customers include major genomic research centers, academic institutions, government laboratories, and clinical research organizations, as well as pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agri-genomics, and consumer genomics companies, and in vitro fertilization clinics. The company’s portfolio of systems, consumables, and analysis tools are designed to simplify genetic analysis. Its sequencing instruments could be used to perform a range of nucleic acid (deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and RNA) analyses on various samples. Its array-based solutions provide ideal tools to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) involving single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping and copy number variation analyses, as well as gene expression profiling, and other DNA, RNA, and protein studies. Products The company’s products, using its proprietary technologies, give its customers the ability to analyze the genome at any level of complexity, from whole-genome sequencing to low-multiplex assays, and enable the company to serve various markets, including research, agriculture, forensics, pharmaceuticals, and genomic-based molecular diagnostics. The majority of its product sales consist of instruments and consumables (which include reagents, flow cells, and BeadChips) based on its proprietary technologies. Sequencing Platforms Based on the company’s proprietary sequencing by synthesis (SBS) technology, its sequencing platforms are designed to meet the workflow, output, and accuracy demands of a range of sequencing applications. Designed for high-throughput sequencing, the HiSeq 2500 is an instrument that could generate either approximately 600 gigabases (Gb) of data in high-output mode or approximately 120 Gb in run mode. In the high-output mode, the HiSeq 2500 processes either approximately 5 human genomes (120 Gb per genome) in 10 days or a single human genome at 30x coverage in approximately 1 day. Its MiSeq Personal Sequencing System delivers the fastest time to an answer (approximately two-three hours) and offers a breadth of sequencing applications in an instrument to meet the needs of individual researchers. Sequencing/Array Combination Platforms The HiScanSQ combines the company’s SBS sequencing technology and HiScan microarray analysis instrumentation into one system, with a modular design that could evolve with changing research needs. This system allows researchers to use its sequencing and array technologies interactively to bring increased power to their experiments. Array Platforms The HiScan and iScan Systems are array scanners that support imaging the company’s array-based genetic analysis products. They incorporate lasers, optics, and detection systems, delivering sub-micron resolution and unmatched throughput rates. The HiScan and iScan support the company’s Infinium, GoldenGate, DASL, gene expression, and methylation assays. Consumables The company has developed various sample preparation and sequencing kits to simplify workflows and accelerate analysis. Some provide all the necessary consumables needed for analyses, such as its Standard Sequencing Kit (SBS chemistry on its sequencing platforms) and Infinium Assay Kit (array-based genotyping on its array platforms). Others support various discrete analyses, such as its Paired-End Genomic DNA Sample Prep Kit for streamlining library preparation for the generation of 200-500 kb insert paired-end reads for sequencing, gene expression, and epigenetic analysis. The company’s TruSeq SBS Sequencing Kit improves sequencing studies with its HiSeq, Genome Analyzer IIx, and MiSeq systems, by enabling researchers to extend the read lengths, achieve higher Gb of mappable data, and deliver the yield of perfect reads to improve the ability to characterize the genome. Through