VICTORIA, British Columbia ? GenoLogics, a leading provider of laboratory information management system (LIMS) software specifically designed for next-generation genomics labs, today announced the release of a pre-configured version of its LIMS software for Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) next-generation sequencing (NGS) systems and TruSeq Sample Prep Kits. The pre-configured GenoLogics LIMS software significantly speeds implementation time for labs with Illumina systems and still provides users with the flexibility to interface with other genomics systems.

Importantly, an application programming interface (API) also allows users to extend the LIMS to accommodate future changes in the lab.

The GenoLogics LIMS pre-configured for Illumina’s TruSeq kits includes new features that allow users to develop processes that map to Illumina’s TruSeq DNA and RNA sample preparation protocols and to automate the calculation of dilution volumes for library normalization. It also offers views designed to simplify locating individual and pooled sequencing libraries that share similar sequencing requirements when loading flow cells.

A new dashboard in the pre-configured GenoLogics LIMS allows users to track the present and past status of all Illumina sequencers in their labs, and to automatically track runs across multiple instruments. Users can then populate the GenoLogics LIMS with key metrics, data location and run status when a run is initiated on an Illumina sequencer. The pre-configured GenoLogics LIMS automatically creates sample sheets to support CASAVA 1.8 demultiplexing. The combination of these new capabilities offers the industry’s tightest LIMS integration to Illumina’s complete line of sequencing systems upon installation.

The pre-configured GenoLogics LIMS ensures reliable sample traceability through accurate and automated tracking of sequencing runs and sample management – from the minute a sample is logged in to the generation of FASTQ converted and demultiplexed data. It also streamlines lab operations by allowing users to monitor the status of multiple instruments and by providing centralized, electronically accessible information on demand to the lab team.

The launch of GenoLogics LIMS for Illumina represents an expansion of the partnership between the two companies. Illumina and GenoLogics in February announced a worldwide co-selling agreement under which Illumina can sell the GenoLogics LIMS to its NGS customers. GenoLogics also has a preferred partner agreement with Illumina, which has allowed the two companies to work closely together to ensure that GenoLogics’ LIMS software is complementary to Illumina’s hardware and sample prep kits.

“The GenoLogics and Illumina partnership is a natural evolution of our shared desire to meet the rapidly changing needs of the sequencing market and to advance scientific discovery,” GenoLogics Chief Executive Officer Michael Ball said. “With today’s announcement of our LIMS pre-configured for Illumina’s sequencing systems, the recent release of the GenoLogics Rapid Scripting™ API and the first in a series of tailored user interfaces set for release late this year, GenoLogics is offering an unparalleled LIMS for the next-generation genomics lab.”

Genomics labs are increasingly focused on the challenges of managing data. In a J.P. Morgan report published in 2010, lab directors cited data storage, data management and informatics as the biggest collective hurdle to expanding NGS operations. LIMS is a proven software solution for managing data in the analytical laboratory and organizing it into meaningful information. However, the unprecedented throughput, experimental complexity and changeability associated with NGS create unique challenges for a LIMS.