This article was originally published April 8.
The Ignite Institute of Individualized Health plans to install the first 25 of the 100 SOLiD 4 instrument that it ordered in January later this quarter, In Sequence's sister publication GenomeWeb Daily News reported last week.
Dietrich Stephan, Ignite's president and CEO, recently told GWDN that the first 25 units will be installed and operational later this quarter when the institute moves into its permanent headquarters in Fairfax County, the location of which is still being negotiated.
He said that additional units would be phased in over the next 12 months in increments of 25.
Stephan also revealed that last month, Ignite's partner Inova Health Systems withdrew a $25 million funding commitment because of fundraising troubles. In response, Fairfax County backed out of a plan to partially finance Ignite's permanent facility by issuing up to $150 million in Fairfax Economic Development Authority industrial revenue bonds. However, Ignite will still receive $25 million in funding from the state of Virginia and is in talks with other potential clinical partners, according to Stephan.
Ignite and Life Technologies said in January that the institute will acquire 100 Applied Biosystems SOLiD 4 instruments as part of a collaboration, making Ignite one of the largest sequencing facilities worldwide.
At the time, they said the first instruments would be installed during the first quarter, and the remainder throughout 2010. Life Tech said it expected to recognize revenue related to the deal over the next three years (IS 2/2/2010).