NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Illumina said in a regulatory filing this week that Genomics England has selected Illumina Cambridge as a preferred partner for the 100,000 Genomes Project.
The project was created by the UK government in late 2012 to sequence the genomes of up to 100,000 people in an effort to gain a better insight into cancer and other diseases and to better treat them. Genomics England, a company owned by the UK Department of Health, was set up to run the 100,000 Genomes Project.
Illumina Cambridge, a subsidiary of the San Diego-based company, was selected by Genomics England as a preferred partner for the sequencing part of the project, Illumina said in a document filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, adding that a definitive agreement is being worked out.
Last fall, Genomics England, Illumina, and the University of Cambridge said that they would sequence 10,000 whole genomes of children and adults with rare genetic diseases as part of a pilot project under the 100,000 Genomes Project.