MedGenome announced that it has purchased the Illumina Hiseq X Ten platform to fuel its genomic research services capability and capacity. MedGenome joins a small number of global players in the genomics research space, and the first one in South-East Asia, to own one of these high throughput Illumina sequencing platforms.

“We are passionate about improving human health through use of genomics research and insights”, said Sam Santhosh, chairman and global CEO, MedGenome. “We will have these machines operational in India and the US by next month and will be looking forward to collaborating with various large scale genomic projects in the region and abroad.”

With its high throughput and unprecedented low price per genome, the HiSeq X Ten makes population-scale whole-genome sequencing (WGS) an affordable reality. The technology is bringing down the price of Whole Genome and Whole Genome Methylation sequencing to the much anticipated USD 1,000. Affordable sequencing could also have a huge impact in diagnostics.

“The HiSeq X Ten System is the first and only platform to break the $1000 barrier for high quality human whole genome sequencing” said Tim Orpin, vice president Asia Pacific, Illumina “We are happy to partner with MedGenome to drive the genomics revolution in India and continue to work towards our vision of unlocking the power of the genome”.

The possibilities of the large scale genetic sequencing projects and the innovative genomic research that it can enable to better understand complex human diseases is well understood by the research community. The HiSeq X10 machines continue to break down barriers in traditional sequencing technologies, and in redefining the cost of whole-genome sequencing. It facilitates the path breaking research that is taking place across the world in the form of population-scale genome sequencing projects. This high performing system promises to accelerate a deeper understanding of genetic disorders to allow us to find ways to better tackle them.