Array Provides Up to 50% More Coverage of Human Genome Variation

This  microarray contains millions of newly discovered genome-wide common and rare variants from the 1,000 Genomes Project (1kGP), selected to
maximize its ability to detect new associations. Omni2.5 represents a
significant milestone in Illumina's 2010 genome-wide association studies
(GWAS) roadmap, announced in late 2009, that is providing access to
superior common and rare variant content as it is deployed from the
1kGP. Omni2.5 delivers unprecedented genome coverage for both SNP and
copy number variation (CNV) analysis, while retaining the industry
leading data quality and simple workflow that has made Infinium arrays
the gold standard GWAS analysis tool.

"The vast amount of data now emerging from bold resequencing efforts
exemplified by the international 1000 Genomes Project, together with
informed SNP selection by a world-leading group of researchers, now
enables next-generation GWAS," said David Bentley, Ph.D., vice president
and chief scientist at Illumina. "We've reached a pivotal time in
genetics when many millions of new variants are becoming available as
the result of next-gen sequencing. For the first time, investigators are
able to use a greatly expanded spectrum of novel variants to search for
the missing heritability in common, complex diseases, using high
capacity genotyping to screen very large sample collections quickly,
thoroughly and cost-effectively. We now can harness the power to
discover SNPs by large-scale sequencing with the Omni2.5 genotyping
array."

Omni2.5 is delivered in a high-throughput 4-sample format for a total of
approximately 10 million markers per array, providing immediate utility
for the next-generation of GWAS. It is compatible with an iScan or
HiScan System. In addition, the company is now shipping:

• The HumanOmni1S-8 BeadChip,which provides a simple upgrade
path for current or former users of Illumina's Omni1-Quad or
OmniExpress BeadChips, enabling researchers to easily access new 1kGP
content without having to purchase the Omni2.5. Aggressively priced,
this new 8-sample array contains the majority of new content present
on the Omni2.5 and allows for processing of nearly 1,000 samples per
week.

• A new sample preparation workflow that allows researchers to save time
and money while taking advantage of the 2010 GWAS roadmap.This
new workflowallowsresearchers to prepare their DNA
samples once and process them across multiple arrays in the Omni
family, such as the Omni1 or OmniExpress and Omni1S, or the Omni2.5
and, later this year, the Omni2.5S.

As with all other Infinium HD products, the Omni1S and Omni2.5BeadChips
support CNV analyses for disease-association studies and are fully
compatible with Illumina's automation solutions for processing hundreds
to thousands of samples on a weekly basis.