Integrated DNA Technologies Develops First Sequencing Chemistries Specifically Designed for the Potentially Disruptive Ultima UG 100 Sequencer

Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), a prominent provider of advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) solutions, has unveiled a new line of xGen NGS products tailored for compatibility with Ultima Genomics’ UG 100™ platform. These xGen NGS products, which encompass adapters, primers, and universal blockers, are designed to support various applications, including DNA, RNA, and methylation sequencing workflows, as well as IDT’s established hybridization capture chemistry. The products aim to minimize sequence errors during PCR or sequencing that could affect demultiplexing. IDT is recognized as the first company to offer stocked products specifically designed for Ultima Genomics platforms.
Ultima Genomics, a pioneer in ultra-high throughput sequencing architecture and innovative new sequencing company, stated that it has chosen IDT as a partner due to IDT’s distinguished chemistry and consistent delivery of high-quality NGS solutions.
Ultima Genomics manufactures and sells the UG 100 sequencer, a potentially disruptive technology that uses a unique spinning circular wafer sequencing process combined with a single read technology that reads only one nucleotide at a time to lower reagent usage and improve data throughput. This method differs from the flow-cell based technologies used by most of its competitors. The company has raised $600 million in venture capital. The key advantages of this platform include the ability to sequence billions of reads, longer read lengths (approximately 300 base pairs), fast run times (less than 20 hours), high base accuracy (with a Q30 score greater than 85%), and a low cost of $1 per gigabyte. The platform’s performance has been validated through whole-genome sequencing of reference samples, demonstrating high accuracy for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 99.6% and indels in homopolymers up to length 10 at 96.4% across the majority of high-confidence regions. Additionally, the platform’s scalability has been demonstrated by sequencing 224 selected samples from the 1000 Genomes project, achieving high concordance. The company has openly promoted its technology’s ability to achieve the $100 genome.