The New York Genome Center Purchases Illumina HiSeq X Ten Sequencing System

NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Genome Center (NYGC) announced the acquisition from Illumina of a HiSeq X Ten system, which is expected to enable ultra-high throughput sequencing of whole human genomes. This advanced technology is designed to provide a prompt readout of the entire genome, dramatically enhancing the turnaround for valuable genomic information. With previous generation machinery, genomes can take multiple weeks to process and cost a few thousand dollars. Illumina's HiSeq X Ten will position NYGC to sequence and process genomic data within three days for a reduced cost of approximately $1,000 per genome.   

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"Following Governor Cuomo's $55 million proposal to advance genomic medicine in New York, this is a timely and exciting investment in next-generation genomics for NYGC. By being among the first to acquire this technology, NYGC continues to fulfill its mission of offering its academic and hospital partners access to state-of-the-art technology to rapidly accelerate life-saving discoveries," said Dr. Robert Darnell, NYGC CEO, President and Scientific Director. "This signals our dedication to providing the most promising computational research equipment on the market today for our consortium."

"NYGC will currently be the only institution in New York State, and the entire tri-state area to offer the promise of the HiSeq X Ten technology," said Jay Flatley, CEO of Illumina. "This platform includes dramatic technology breakthroughs that will enable NYGC-affiliated researchers to undertake studies of unprecedented scale by providing the throughput to sequence tens of thousands of human whole genomes per year in a central genome center."

Genomic medicine examines a person's unique genetic information to determine the likely causes of disease as a result of aberrations in the genetic code. This examination involves the analysis of large amounts of data to understand how the disease is related to these genetic aberrations. With this knowledge, scientists are able to visualize improved diagnostic tools, treatments and, potentially, cures for a range of devastating diseases. The HiSeq X Ten system will allow NYGC to be among the first four institutions worldwide to provide advanced and increasingly cost efficient genomic research – benefitting NYGC partner institutions by expediting these urgently needed medical advances.

About the New York Genome Center
The New York Genome Center (NYGC), opened in 2013, is an independent, nonprofit research center based in New York City that focuses on transforming biomedical research and clinical care to advance basic and translational life science research. NYGC is a unique collaborative consortium including medical and research centers working to turn the concept of clinical care on its head to create a new approach to genomic medicine. Member institutions include: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, American Museum of Natural History, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Columbia University, Cornell University/Weill Cornell Medical College, Hospital for Special Surgery, The Jackson Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, The New York Stem Cell Foundation, New York University, North Shore LIJ, The Rockefeller University, Roswell Park Cancer Center and Stony Brook. For more information, visit: www.nygenome.org.

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SOURCE The New York Genome Center