The $600 million Illumina Inc. is paying to acquire next-generation sequencing company Solexa Inc. —almost 50% above Solexa’s trading range prior to the announcement--says more about current market drivers than it does about the technology’s future application as a means of achieving the oft-touted goal of the $1,000 genome sequence. Indeed, with the exception of Helicos Biosciences Corp., most next-generation companies have backed off statements that their current technology platforms will be capable of reaching that four-figure benchmark, at which a genome sequence could become part of an individual’s medical record. Illumina’s foray into the sequencing space is less a commentary on the feasibility of hitting such a target and more about meeting its immediate needs.
Solexa offers Illumina entrée to an emerging next-generation sequencing market analysts peg at $1 billion currently, and a way to...
