Illumina to Acquire Pacific Biosciences for Approximately $1.2 Billion, Broadening Access to Long-Read Sequencing and Accelerating Scientific Discovery
Brings Together Highly Accurate Short- and Long-Read Sequencing Technologies, Paving the Path to a More Perfect View of a Genome
Pacific Biosciences’ Recent Advances with its Sequel SMRT® Technology, Combined with Illumina’s Infrastructure, will Expand Biological Discovery and Clinical Insight
Long-Read Sequencing Market Opportunity Expected to Grow to $2.5B by 2022
“PacBio’s unmatched accuracy mirrors that of Illumina’s in short-read sequencing. Combining the two technologies positions us to reach more applications, accelerate the pace of genomic discovery and bolster our innovation engine which has been a hallmark of Illumina since our inception,” said Francis deSouza, President and Chief Executive Officer of Illumina. “PacBio’s relentless pursuit to improve sequencing accuracy, while driving down the cost, underscores the potential of long-reads to expand sequencing to new customers and applications.”
“Illumina continues to democratize the use of sequencing at an unprecedented rate. Through this combination, thousands of researchers will now have direct access to this technology,” said Michael Hunkapiller, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Biosciences. “Illumina and Pacific Biosciences have shared values and a commitment to innovation. Our complementary sequencing technology, once integrated, will offer customers a new standard of insight and understanding, opening new frontiers of genomic utility.”
Press Release
