Novogene Establishes Genomic Sequencing Center at UC Davis

The company also announced that it has purchased its second Illumina Hi-Seq X Ten system — the first system to enable whole human genome sequencing for less than $1,000 — and that it is installing five of these sequencers in the newly established facility at UC Davis.

The purchase of a second Hi-Seq X Ten system adds further to Novogene’s NGS sequencing capacity, among the largest in the world at 36,000 human genomes per year. Novogene was the first company in China to acquire Illumina’s Hi-Seq X Ten system when introduced in early 2014, and has extensive experience using the system to provide¬¬ whole genome sequencing service.

Novogene’s genome sequencing center at UC Davis, scheduled to open in early May, will provide to U.S. and global customers high-quality whole genome sequencing and analysis of human, plant and animal samples for biomedical and agricultural research. Novogene’s goal is to establish a CLIA-certified laboratory in the UC Davis facility to enable human genome sequencing for clinical applications as well, including the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease. In addition to the ultra-high-throughput Illumina Hi-Seq X instruments, the facility will incorporate other state-of-the-art NGS technologies coupled with Novogene’s cutting-edge bioinformatics and analytical capabilities. In addition to serving the needs of researchers globally, Novogene anticipates that the facility will also benefit UC Davis scientists focused on cancer, regenerative and precision medicine, animal and agricultural research, as well as its broader academic community.

“We are proud to announce the establishment of our first genomic center in the U.S. as well as the acquisition of our second Illumina Hi-Seq X Ten system,” stated Dr. Ruiqiang Li, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Novogene. “We look forward to providing U.S.-based NGS services and bioinformatics analyses in support of diverse global genomics research needs. As one of the first and largest users of Illumina’s HiSeq X Ten systems, we are uniquely positioned to rapidly provide customers with the highest quality whole genome sequencing data.”