What we think about Illumina
Illumina in Three Words: Global Sequencing Leader
Discuss Illumina in our Community Forum
Background
The expression “it’s in the genes” is actually a pretty fair statement. Our DNA serves as the blueprint of who and what we physically are as human beings.
We can learn quite a bit from the information stored in our genome. Genetic variations are the reason we don’t all have the same-looking skin, hair, and eyes. Other genes define psychological factors like intelligence or our likelihood of developing insomnia. Still others govern how well we metabolize certain foods and drugs. Ozzy Osbourne’s genes certainly helped to explain how he’s somehow managed to survive five decades of rock-and-roll.
But DNA can also predict more serious conditions, which is very important to the medical community. Certain disorders like sickle cell disease or spinal muscular atrophy can be traced back to the presence of a single gene. Once those genes can be identified, a new scientific breakthrough called CRISPR can replace those problematic genes with healthy ones. This could permanently cure patients of those conditions, rather than chronically treating them for the rest of their lives.
Other disorders like diabetes or heart disease are polygenic, meaning they’re believed to be tied to multiple genes. Detecting those genes as early as possible could inform us of the medical conditions we’re at a high risk of developing, and could help us to proactively lead healthier lives. Several insurance companies are already deeming non-invasive prenatal testing (i.e. DNA tests for unborn babies) to be a fully-covered medical necessity during pregnancies.
Understandably, there are still privacy concerns related to sharing your genetic code with others. After all, your DNA is just about the most personal information that you own!
A less-sensitive field is in genomics ─ different than genetics ─ where doctors sequence the genome of an existing disease or cancerous tumor. Once the cancer is profiled and recognized, those doctors can then select personalized drugs that will work optimally for each individual patient.
Each of the activities described above relies heavily on Illumina. Its sequencing machines run the tests that provide the necessary and valuable DNA information.