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A simple blood test to detect early signs of cancer. A noninvasive way to screen pregnancies for common genetic conditions. An app store for your genetic information. Illumina, a San Diego-based gene-sequencing hardware and software behemoth with a market capitalization of $22 billion, is working on all these initiatives—and more.
Illumina casts a long shadow over the field of genomics, but it lacks the star power of a consumer-focused company like Silicon Valley genetic testing outfit 23andMe. That's because Illumina operates behind the scenes, selling hardware and services to companies and research institutions. But that's about to change if Illumina's new CEO, serial entrepreneur Francis deSouza, has anything to do with it.
"We spent a decade selling instruments to researchers who are experts and understand genomics," he tells me. "Now we're seeing applications take off, which is a much bigger market for us."
For those who aren't familiar, Illumina makes an instrument called a DNA sequencer. With a sample of DNA, like a swab of saliva, one of these machines can determine the order of DNA's...