2021年8月3日
Illumina supports Covid19 genomic surveillance in 70+ countries
SAN DIEGO, /PRNewswire/ - Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) has donated US $1 million in sequencing capabilities to the Molecular Diagnostic Reference Laboratory at Kasturba Hospital, run by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Kasturba Hospital opens its own genome sequencing facility today and the donation will help expand SARS-CoV-2 sequencing capabilities in the State of Maharashtra, supporting the broader genomic surveillance effort across India.
“COVID-19 continues to spread and evolve, causing immense suffering across India, and around the world,” said Francis deSouza, Chief Executive Officer of Illumina. “Genomic surveillance is a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19, helping reveal the emergence, transmission and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants like the highly infectious delta variant. This new facility in Mumbai will establish local sequencing capability for the region, providing essential visibility more quickly and enabling faster public health decisions.”
“Maharashtra has over 6 million cases of COVID infection, and genomic surveillance is essential in identifying hotspots with variants of concern to support public health responses. We’ve double-vaccinated more than ten million people across the State and genomic surveillance will be critical to understanding the picture of transmission in vaccinated people,” said Mr. Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Health, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.
“We are grateful for Illumina’s support in the pandemic fight,” said Dr Jayanthi Shastri, Laboratory Director, Molecular Diagnostic Reference Laboratory at Kasturba Hospital.
The donation includes two of Illumina’s newest next-generation sequencing platforms, the NextSeq 2000, reagents, a rapid bioinformatics analysis platform (DRAGEN) and four years of service support for the sequencing installations. It is part of Illumina’s broader philanthropic program to provide access to NGS technology throughout the world to drive a global response that will be effective in supporting SARS-CoV-2 control efforts.
About Illumina
Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as the global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit www.illumina.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
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SOURCE Illumina, Inc.
