Mexico's National Institute of Genomic Medicine Unveils new Illumina Genotyping and Gene Expression Analysis Facility

Illumina, Inc. has announced the opening of a Genotyping and Gene Expression Analysis Unit at the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN) in Mexico City.

The new unit is part of a 40,000 square foot facility being constructed by INMEGEN and will house a fully-automated Illumina BeadStation. Capable of analyzing thousands of samples per year, the BeadStation is a bench-top solution enabling whole-genome and targeted analysis of both DNA and RNA.

Using Illumina's BeadArray® technology, powered by the GoldenGate® and Infinium® Assays, INMEGEN scientists will initiate the second phase of the Mexican HapMap project. This large-scale project will include single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping and gene expression studies that characterize the genetic variation of the Mexican population.

Investigators working on the HapMap initiative, slated for completion in late 2007, will analyze samples from 1,200 individuals in six States of Mexico, including Yucatan, Sonora, Guerrero, Veracruz, Zacatecas, and Guanajuato.

"INMEGEN plays a critical role in contributing to Mexico's health through the development of excellent scientific research. The opening of INMEGEN's new genomics facility, including the Illumina Genotyping and Gene Expression Unit, is a testament to the vitality of the life science industry in our country," said Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, M.D., Secretary of Health of Mexico.

"The goals of INMEGEN, made possible in part by the Illumina Genotyping and Gene Expression Unit, are to incorporate genomics into methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, to enhance genomics training and research, to educate the public, and to make available advances in technology," said Gerardo Jimenez-Sanchez, M.D., Ph.D., Director of INMEGEN.

"Based upon results from the second phase of the Mexican HapMap Project, we will be able to lay the foundation necessary to improve and accelerate the development of clinical genomic medicine."