Illumina Acquires Fluent BioSciences to Expand Single-Cell Analysis Capabilities

The acquisition aims to enhance Illumina's offerings in single-cell research and multi-omics solutions.

Illumina, a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, has acquired Fluent BioSciences, a developer of a novel single-cell technology. 

The acquisition aims to enhance Illumina's offerings in single-cell research and multiomics solutions.

Fluent BioSciences is known for its single-cell analysis technology that eliminates the need for complex, expensive instrumentation and consumables. This approach simplifies single-cell analysis, making it accessible to a broader range of researchers. 

Steven Barnard, CTO of Illumina, said, "The addition of Fluent BioSciences to Illumina will provide significant and new capabilities to our customers in a key growth area and advances our multi omics growth strategy. Single-cell research opens doors to new areas of discovery, and Fluent's innovative, accessible, and flexible single-cell method will accelerate our ability to deliver full multi omics solutions for our customers."

The Acquisition Deal

Per the deal, Fluent team will be integrated into Illumina, and the PIPseq V technology will be added to Illumina's product portfolio. 

This integration aims to offer researchers a complete solution and single point of support, enhancing the efficiency and affordability of scientific discovery.

Further, Fluent’s technology will be combined with Illumina's existing sequencing and informatics solutions, including Partek Flow, which supports single-cell multi-omic analysis. This comprehensive solution is expected to advance research in various fields, including healthcare, by providing more accurate and accessible single-cell analysis.

Illumina will continue to support its existing single-cell partnerships while developing new end-to-end solutions based on Fluent’s technology. 

Barnard added, "Our goal is to continue to develop the sequencing ecosystem and support the best multiomics solutions like single-cell analysis. We want customers to have the flexibility to adopt the tools that best fit their needs."

Days ago, Illumina launched DRAGEN v4.3, the latest version of its DRAGEN software line. This update represents a significant advancement in next-generation sequencing (NGS). 

It includes multi-genome mapping technology that can incorporate 128 samples from 26 different ancestries. This technology is vital for capturing a wider range of genetic diversity and reducing ancestry bias in genomic studies.

Additionally, in November of last year, Illumina introduced the Global Health Access Initiative to enhance access to pathogen sequencing tools for public health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

Through this initiative, Illumina will provide these tools to eligible global health funding entities and address key international logistics and supply chain issues. The program is expected to begin soon, depending on logistical and supply chain management.