Written by : Nikita Saha
January 16, 2025
As per reports, the partnership aims to accelerate advancements in clinical research, genomics AI development, and drug discovery by integrating Illumina's sequencing technology with NVIDIA's AI capabilities.
Illumina, Inc., a global leader in genomic sequencing and analysis, has collaborated with NVIDIA to enhance the analysis and interpretation of multiomic data.
As per reports, the partnership aims to accelerate advancements in clinical research, genomics AI development, and drug discovery by integrating Illumina's sequencing technology with NVIDIA's AI capabilities.
Moreover, this collaboration will focus on optimizing the vast data involved in multiomic research. By combining Illumina's sequencing technology and informatics tools with NVIDIA's AI technology, the partnership seeks to accelerate drug discovery and clinical development, enabling pharmaceutical companies to identify new drug targets more efficiently.
Sharing thoughts, Rami Mehio, head of global software and informatics at Illumina, said, "Over the past 20 years, Illumina has democratized sequencing, and with the progress in AI and multiomic analysis, we are enabling customers to derive novel insights for their applications. This collaboration with NVIDIA moves us closer to that vision. This is also part of our commitment to continue to enrich our analysis and interpretation tools that will enable deeper biological insights, delivering total workflow solutions for our customers."
Illumina's portfolio, which includes DRAGEN-powered multiomics offerings and the Illumina Connected Analytics platform, has streamlined genomic data generation and analysis. The company has also developed leading AI tools such as SpliceAI, PrimateAI-3D, and Emedgene xAI for genomic interpretation.
Expanding on these efforts, Illumina will integrate models developed by the NVIDIA Biology Foundation Model Research Team, allowing customers to enhance performance for tasks such as cell state or gene transcription prediction. These tools will be made accessible on the Illumina Connected Analytics platform, leveraging NVIDIA's RAPIDS accelerated data science software and BioNeMo platform.
"AI and data science will find their most profound application in genomics. Combining Illumina's world-leading sequencing and analytics platforms with NVIDIA's accelerated computing and AI, we will drive the next generation of genomics interpretation and democratize genomics for drug discovery through AI-powered insights," said Rory Kelleher, senior director, global head of business development, healthcare and life sciences at NVIDIA.
According to the company, the initial phase of the collaboration will involve enabling DRAGEN algorithms on NVIDIA GPUs, making Illumina's multiomics analysis more accessible.
Further, the partnership will also incorporate NVIDIA's image processing and single-cell tertiary analysis tools onto the Illumina Connected Software module.
Illumina continues to lead in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving research, clinical, and applied markets globally, with a focus on improving human health through genomic innovation.
Last year, Illumina Inc., announced to establish a Global Capability Center in Bengaluru, India. This move is part of the company's strategy to expand its technology workforce and support a global customer base.
India is on its way to becoming the world’s third-largest economy by 2030, yet it continues to grapple with significant public health challenges, including
Illumina’s expansion into India aims to enhance access to genomics, offering new opportunities to advance healthcare and combat the effects of climate change.