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Illumina, Inc. ILMN recently collaborated with African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) to develop a training academy. The collaboration is intended to increase Africa’s genomics capacity.
The collaboration is built on the organizations’ shared goals to expand sequencing capabilities and capacity for all people in Africa. It will impact every area of precision medicine, from drug development to cancer screening, therapy selection and monitoring.
The latest move will fortify Illumina’s goals to strengthen its foothold in the multi-billion gene sequencing market globally.
More on Collaboration
In February, Illumina and ACEGID signed a memorandum of understanding to leverage the existing pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Bootcamp program at ACEGID. The agreement is intended to set up a training program targeting 1,000 young African researchers and scientists in Genomics and Bioinformatics between March 2023 and December 2025.
The organizations collaborated to launch a Genomics and Bioinformatics training Academy within ACEGID at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Nigeria. The two organizations will also work toward associations for pharmacogenomics and precision oncology for Africans.
Strategic Implications
This collaboration is intended to be a landmark in the African genomics and public health space, tackling the needs for both human resources development and infrastructure for proper training to allow enhanced capacity for genomics on the continent. This will significantly increase the supply of qualified technical workforce for next-generation sequencing wet lab management, bioinformatics, big data analytics and advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning applications.
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Both organizations share a collective goal of extending the reach of genomic technologies and their impacts on patients. Per Illumina management, Africa has the highest genetic diversity of any continent. With this collaboration, Illumina is taking the opportunity to contribute to the future of accessing that diversity for the benefit of human health.
Industry Prospects
Per a report by Grand View Research, the global whole genome sequencing market was valued at $1,645.2 million in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 20.06% by 2030. The growing prevalence of genetic disorders and mutations that lead to cancer progression are the main factors driving the market.
Strong Prospects in Genetic Health Market
Illumina is keeping pace with its goals to strengthen its foothold in the multi-billion gene sequencing worldwide market with some highly-competitive products in its existing portfolio and pipeline. This market is developing rapidly on a global scale, allowing the company to witness continuous growth in the number of non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) samples.