Illumina and Broad Clinical Labs Launch Ambitious 5-Billion-Cell Atlas Initiative to Accelerate AI-Driven Drug Discovery
Illumina
Diagnostic Product Developer
Broad Clinical Labs
Genomic Sequencing Service Provider
Illumina's recent defense...has been very active.
As the old fans know, not long ago, UKB-PPP just shook hands with Olink+Ultima.
Not long after, Illumina retaliated.
2025-01-12
2025-01-14
The other day, CZI (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) launched a $1 billion single-cell project with 10x Genomics + Ultima.
CZI Puts Pressure on Illumina
Sure enough, Illumina popped up again just a couple of days later.
On February 21, 2025, Illumina, Inc. and Broad Clinical Labs reached a collaboration aimed at rapidly advancing single-cell projects, utilizing cutting-edge tools and workflows to set standards for single-cell research andAccelerate the development of a cell atlas containing 5 billion cells within three years。
Holy cow, you have 1 billion, I have 5 billion.
The advantage is mine!
This collaboration will combine Illumina's Illumina Single Cell 3' RNA Prep, NovaSeq X Plus platform, DRAGEN analysis software, and Broad’s Perturb-seq, CRISPR screening, and other advanced technologies to enable researchers to process and analyze large-scale single-cell data with unprecedented speed and accuracy, driving discoveries in disease modeling, drug development, and other fields.
Broad Clinical Labs (BCL), a subsidiary of the Broad Institute, a renowned sequencing center, is a CLIA-certified laboratory with solid credentials.
Since 2013, 696,473 whole genome sequences have been completed.
Interestingly, the output files from Illumina sequencers are originally in *.bcl format, which need to be converted to the familiar fastq format using bcl2fastq.
Although, I believe this is a coincidence.
Anyway, Illumina's intention is very clear.
"BCL is the legitimate one, the 'old money.' What are you, CZI?"
However, this collaboration did not specify where the funding would come from.
He is in a hurry, he is in a hurry...
Come to think of it, purely playing defense doesn't seem like a viable strategy, my friend.
Can we think of a way to give it a try?
END
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