Danaher subsidiary Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) and Illumina have announced a collaboration to connect IDT’s xGen FFPE and cell-free DNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation workflows with Illumina’s DRAGEN secondary analysis platform, creating an end-to-end pipeline for somatic oncology research.
Illumina built a new application for IDT custom panels and includes a low-quality FFPE mode designed to extract variant data from degraded samples. Initial workflows focusing on FFPE samples are available now. A version optimized for cfDNA liquid biopsy targeted applications is slated for next year. Financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
“This is a step toward reshaping how genomic data is generated, analyzed, and used in research,” Konstantin Fiedler, VP at IDT, said in a statement. “We’re building toward a future where more workflows are fully connected, highly performant, and built for real-world samples.”
The deal adds to already deep ties between the companies: IDT manufactures oligos used in Illumina’s sequencing-by-synthesis chemistry. While the current deal is centered on research-use library preparation workflows, earlier this year IDT launched its first in vitro diagnostic assays, the Archer FusionPlex-HT Dx and VariantPlex-HT Dx, both of which can use FFPE samples.
“Collaborations like this add a new way for people to enter Illumina’s insight ecosystem,” Kevin Moore, VP of software product management at Illumina, added.