Life Technologies' Ion Torrent division has launched the 318 chip for the PGM, which can deliver 1 gigabase of data. Additionally, it is planning to launch updated software later this month and targeted sequencing panels in the first and second quarters. These products are in addition to a new sequencing system, called the Ion Proton, that will enable whole-genome sequencing in a day for less than $1,000 (see story, this issue).
Later this month, the company will release its Torrent Suite v2.0 software, which will process data 30 percent faster compared to the current version of the software and will include improvements to SNP calling and insertion and deletion detection.
In March, it plans to launch its Ion AmpliSeq Custom Solutions kit for customized, targeted amplicon sequencing, which will enable targeted sequencing of up to 1,536 amplicons in a single tube in a single day.
The company is also planning to launch an AmpliSeq Inherited Disease panel targeting around 10,000 amplicons for 100 Mendelian diseases and an AmpliSeq Comprehensive Cancer Panel, which will target around 10,000 amplicons in 400 genes. Both of those kits will be for the 318 chip and will launch commercially in the second quarter.
Illumina is lowering the price of its TruSeq Exome Enrichment kit from $300 to $49. Additionally, it is planning a number of other product launches for 2011, including the HiSeq 2500, which will enable both high- and low-throughput sequencing, and upgrades to its MiSeq instrument (see story this issue). It is also planning to introduce an app store for its BaseSpace cloud computing software.
Bioo Scientific has launched its NextFlex DNA, ChIP-seq, and PCR-free modules for next-generation sequencing library preparation. The new products include enzymes, buffers, and protocols for library construction and are compatible with the Illumina Genome Analyzer, HiSeq, and MiSeq instruments.
Integromics has released SeqSolve 2.1, an updated version of its software for the analysis of next-generation sequence data. The new release allows for remote processing of multiple analyses by several users. According to the company, the latest version was developed to meet demands of pharmaceutical companies, agricultural companies, and core facilities.
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Maryland have released TopHat 1.4.0 for mapping RNA-seq reads. The new release includes a number of new features and fixes, and is available here. Included in the new release is a feature that maps reads to the transcriptome first, with only unmapped reads being further aligned to the whole genome. Additionally, a bug was fixed that prevented the use of some SOLiD reads.