On Aug. 3, 2021, Illumina announced it had donated US $1 million in sequencing capabilities to the Molecular Diagnostic Reference Laboratory at Kasturba Hospital, run by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Kasturba Hospital opened its own genome sequencing facility and the donation help expand SARS-CoV-2 sequencing capabilities in the State of Maharashtra, supporting the broader genomic surveillance effort across India.

The donation includes two of Illumina’s newest next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms, the NextSeq™ 2000, reagents, a rapid bioinformatics analysis platform (DRAGEN) and four years of service support for the sequencing installations. It is part of Illumina’s broader philanthropic program to provide access to NGS technology throughout the world to drive a global response that will be effective in supporting SARS-CoV-2 control efforts.

Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as the global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments.