Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) today announced the release of new sequencing chemistry kits and complementary software for its Genome Analyzer system. These new kits and software enable researchers to generate 40% more reads per run and extend read length to greater than 75 base pairs (bp). Also launched is the new Mate Pair Library Preparation Kit, which provides support for generating longer insert paired-end libraries and is complementary to Illumina’s existing short-end paired libraries. These new improvements enable researchers to generate 10 to 15 Gigabases (Gb) of high-quality data per run, more than doubling the output previously attainable on the Genome Analyzer.

“The availability of mate pair library kits and long paired-end reads has greatly increased the flexibility and capacity of our Illumina sequencers. I believe that they have greatly improved our ability to sequence cDNA libraries and may even open up the possibility to do de novo sequencing on the Illumina sequencer,” said W. Richard McCombie, Ph.D., Professor at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. “They are also greatly helping our medical resequencing by giving us more data and the ability to look for small insertions and deletions in patient samples.”

Illumina’s unique combination of very high density and long reads allows researchers to economically take on a broad range of projects, such as whole human genome sequencing and de novo sequencing of complex organisms. In addition to the higher output and longer reads afforded by the new kits and software, Illumina’s flexible mate pair technique allows researchers to generate paired-end insert libraries measuring two to five kilobases (kb) to more comprehensively catalogue large structural variations. Coupled with Illumina’s standard paired-end insert libraries (200-500 bp), which are necessary for detection of smaller structural variants, these kits provide researchers with the most comprehensive set of library preparation tools for accurate and comprehensive sequencing and characterization of complex genomes.

“In addition to providing new solutions for de novo sequencing, the combination of short insert paired-end reads with the new longer insert mate pair sequencing is the most powerful approach for maximal coverage across the genome. This combination enables detection of the widest range of structural variant types and is essential for accurately identifying complex rearrangements,” said David Bentley, Vice-President and Chief Scientist of DNA Sequencing at Illumina.

Under an early access program, researchers at the National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR) have started working with the new long read and Mate Pair Library Kits. “At NCGR, the long read and mate pair chemistries are already enabling our cotton de novo and human resequencing projects. Four of our Genome Analyzers are now dedicated to 2 x 88 and 2 x 106 base pair runs, generating up to 20.5 Gigabases per run and a raw accuracy of greater than 99% over 106 base pairs. Additionally, we’re excited to use these improvements for structural variant detection and metagenomics,” said Greg May, Ph.D., Director of the Genome Center at NCGR.

Designed for facilities of all sizes, the Illumina Genome Analyzer has been adopted across genome centers worldwide, as well as individual research labs, core and service facilities, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. The Genome Analyzer offers the highest rate of daily output and the simplest, most user-friendly workflow. The Genome Analyzer supports the broadest set of applications, including those used to profile and discover novel transcripts, to create high-resolution genome-wide maps of DNA-protein binding sites and to sequence entire human genomes to greater than 30x coverage.