"Our ability to have high accuracy and also affordable tests is dependent on the combination of the efficiency of our capture and our ability to analyze several hundred patients on one run of the sequencer," Good Start's CEO said.
NCGR has been exclusively using the Illumina Genome Analyzer as its next-generation sequencing platform. Adding the SOLiD machines is part of a strategy to diversify the center's offerings.
The service, offered by Illumina through subcontracting partners and available immediately, will focus solely on whole-genome sequencing services for large-scale projects.
The sequencing will be done on ABI's SOLiD, and over the next three months Emory plans to add sequencing-based testing for mitochondrial diseases, prostate cancer, hearing loss, cardiomyopathy, and various types of mental retardation.
NCGR recently compared four enrichment technologies — from Agilent, RainDance, Febit, and Olink — to determine how well they could detect a spectrum of known mutations.
"What's impressive is that they really have quite good coverage for outstanding quality, and that is what will allow this technology to catch people's attention," according to Pfizer's David Cox, one of the company's early-access customers.
