Illumina commences shipment of new HumanOmni2.5-Quad DNA Analysis BeadChip microarray

Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) today announced that it has begun shipping its new HumanOmni2.5-Quad DNA Analysis BeadChip (Omni2.5). This microarray contains millions of newly discovered genome-wide common and rare variants from the 1,000 Genomes Project (1kGP), selected to maximize its ability to detect new associations. Omni2.5 represents a significant milestone in Illumina's 2010 genome-wide association studies (GWAS) roadmap, announced in late 2009, that is providing access to superior common and rare variant content as it is deployed from the 1kGP. Omni2.5 delivers unprecedented genome coverage for both SNP and copy number variation (CNV) analysis, while retaining the industry leading data quality and simple workflow that has made Infinium arrays the gold standard GWAS analysis tool.

"The vast amount of data now emerging from bold resequencing efforts exemplified by the international 1000 Genomes Project, together with informed SNP selection by a world-leading group of researchers, now enables next-generation GWAS," said David Bentley, Ph.D., vice president and chief scientist at Illumina. "We've reached a pivotal time in genetics when many millions of new variants are becoming available as the result of next-gen sequencing. For the first time, investigators are able to use a greatly expanded spectrum of novel variants to search for the missing heritability in common, complex diseases, using high capacity genotyping to screen very large sample collections quickly, thoroughly and cost-effectively. We now can harness the power to discover SNPs by large-scale sequencing with the Omni2.5 genotyping array."

Omni2.5 is delivered in a high-throughput 4-sample format for a total of approximately 10 million markers per array, providing immediate utility for the next-generation of GWAS. It is compatible with an iScan or HiScan System. In addition, the company is now shipping:

• The HumanOmni1S-8 BeadChip, which provides a simple upgrade path for current or former users of Illumina's Omni1-Quad or OmniExpress BeadChips, enabling researchers to easily access new 1kGP content without having to purchase the Omni2.5. Aggressively priced, this new 8-sample array contains the majority of new content present on the Omni2.5 and allows for processing of nearly 1,000 samples per week.
• A new sample preparation workflow that allows researchers to save time and money while taking advantage of the 2010 GWAS roadmap. This new workflow allows researchers to prepare their DNA samples once and process them across multiple arrays in the Omni family, such as the Omni1 or OmniExpress and Omni1S, or the Omni2.5 and, later this year, the Omni2.5S.

As with all other Infinium HD products, the Omni1S and Omni2.5 BeadChips support CNV analyses for disease-association studies and are fully compatible with Illumina's automation solutions for processing hundreds to thousands of samples on a weekly basis.