Minderoo Foundation and Illumina Commit $40M AUD to Apply Advanced Genomics to Marine Conservation
Minderoo Foundation and Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) announced a three-year partnership worth 40 million Australian dollars (USD 27.8 million) to enhance marine biodiversity research using advanced genomics. The collaboration aims to revolutionize marine conservation by employing environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies and high-throughput sequencing aboard research vessels. This initiative seeks to improve the understanding of marine ecosystems and contribute valuable data for conservation efforts amidst changing environmental conditions.
- Partnership worth 40 million AUD (27.8 million USD) for marine conservation.
- Utilization of high-throughput sequencing technology enhances research capabilities.
- Potential to rapidly identify endangered and invasive marine species.
- None.
New partnership will use the power of high-throughput sequencing to measure and understand marine life in our oceans at a rate that eclipses traditional research methods
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Minderoo Foundation and Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), today announced a 40 million Australian dollar (US
Minderoo Foundation's director of OceanOmics, Dr. Steve Burnell, said that scaling environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies and applying new computational and artificial-intelligence-enabled approaches have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of life in the ocean and our ability to protect it.
"By rapidly identifying species that may be endangered, invasive, or otherwise poorly understood, the research will contribute data and information to support timely and impactful marine biodiversity conservation," Burnell said. "Minderoo Foundation is committed to returning our oceans to a flourishing state."
Surveillance of marine ecosystems using eDNA can increase the resolution and sensitivity with which scientists understand biodiversity and can measure change. A cup of seawater can contain millions of pieces of eDNA and cells, providing a snapshot of the life forms present and, potentially, information on their population size and health. However, in typical seawater samples, more than
The partners will also engage in research and development projects to create high-throughput genome sequences from known marine vertebrates to enable identification of unknown eDNA sequences from seawater. Because only
As part of this broad research and development partnership, Minderoo Foundation installed a NextSeq™ 2000 Sequencing System, one of Illumina's most advanced high-throughput benchtop DNA sequencers, aboard its research vessel.
Illumina Head of Global Commercial Strategy & General Manager of Asia Pacific and Japan Gretchen Weightman said installing the NextSeq 2000 directly onto Minderoo's research vessel has allowed the partners to demonstrate, for the first time, truly high-throughput sequencing at sea, enabling near real-time production of marine genetic information, from seawater samples to high-quality sequencing data, in a matter of hours.
"Backed by Illumina's leading technologies, researchers will gather crucial data and gain a greater understanding of the significant implications for the way the world's oceans are managed, considering commercial fishing and protection requirements," Weightman said.
ABOUT MINDEROO FOUNDATION
Established by Andrew and Nicola Forrest in 2001, Minderoo Foundation is a modern philanthropic organisation seeking to break down barriers, innovate and drive positive, lasting change. Minderoo Foundation is proudly Australian, with key initiatives spanning from ocean conservation and ending slavery, to collaboration against cancer and building community projects. To learn more, visit minderoo.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Vimeo.
ABOUT ILLUMINA
Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as a 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. To learn more, visit illumina.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Media Contacts
Investors | Media | Media (Australia) Lisa Maguire +61 499 328 045 lmaguire@illumina.com |
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SOURCE Illumina, Inc.
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