Park News
13 June 2006
Invitrogen and Solexa Collaborate to Supply Reagents for Next Generation Sequencing
Invitrogen reagents among those to be used in kits for Solexa Genome Analysis System
Carlsbad, Calif., and Hayward, Calif. and Cambridge, UK-- June 13, 2006—Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq: IVGN), a provider of essential life science technologies for disease research and drug discovery, and Solexa, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLXA), a provider of next-generation genetic analysis systems, today announced a collaboration through which Invitrogen will supply many of the reagents for Solexa’s sequencing, gene expression, and small RNA analysis kits designed to be used with the Solexa Genome Analysis System. Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
With the potential to generate over a billion bases of DNA sequence data per run, Solexa expects the Solexa Genome Analysis System to reduce the cost and improve the speed of a broad range of applications, including whole genome human sequencing and expression profiling. Solexa’s platform, which leverages the company’s proprietary Clonal Single Molecule Array™ technology and reversible-terminator chemistry, has the versatility and scalability to address researchers’ needs in a range of settings, including core facilities, genome centers, and individual laboratories. Solexa is currently taking orders for the system and expects to commence broad shipment of the technology platform in fall 2006.
“As Solexa advances along the path to broadly commercialize our genetic analysis platform with the goal of enabling customers to re-sequence human genomes for $100,000, we are committed to working with leading companies in the life science business,” said John West, chief executive officer of Solexa. “Our customers want the best reagents to use on our platforms, and with Invitrogen’s well-earned reputation for manufacturing and delivering consistently high quality reagents, we are confident that our customers’ expectations will be met.”
In addition to its role as a manufacturer of key life science products, Invitrogen also serves in an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) capacity in the diagnostic and life sciences reagent markets, providing technologies for a wide range of areas. Raw materials such as enzymes, antibodies, fluorescent labeling molecules and magnetic beads for bioseparations are incorporated into commercial products from various suppliers that are being used in leading clinical and research labs today.
“Our relationship with Solexa will allow us to be a significant player in an area that could change the shape of human medicine,” said Claude Benchimol, Invitrogen’s Senior Vice President, Research and Development. “Furthermore, by supplying the majority of reagents in these Solexa-branded kits, we continue to demonstrate our leadership role as an OEM supplier. With our flexibility, manufacturing capability and breadth of raw materials, we can readily handle a variety of kits for our manufacturing partners such as the ones that are needed to run on Solexa’s platform.”