BioNano Genomics Launches Irys, a Novel Platform for Complex Human Genome Analysis

SAN DIEGO & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BioNano Genomics today released its breakthrough Irys System, an intuitively designed genome mapping system that empowers genomics researchers with a new way of achieving more accurate and comprehensive discoveries, including structural variation analysis and sequence assemblies.

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Irys is a novel, automated platform that uses single-molecule imaging to visualize extremely long nucleic acids and reveal genome architecture in its native state, thereby significantly extending the reach of existing genomic technologies.

The Irys System allows researchers and clinicians to access meaningful biological information that is often disrupted or completely lost when molecules are sheared, said BioNano Genomics President and CEO Dr. R. Erik Holmlin, who announced the launch of Irys at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, being held in San Francisco Nov. 6-10. BioNano Genomics is pleased to introduce a new approach that allows one to easily observe architecture and context across the whole genome, providing unprecedented insight into biology.

The fully automated Irys benchtop instrument uses a proprietary IrysChip to uncoil and confine long DNA molecules into nanochannels, uniformly linearizing them for high-resolution, single-molecule imaging. The Irys System does not require DNA fragmentation and amplification steps that are typical of next-generation sequencing resulting in extremely long reads of hundreds of kilobases to megabases. Because of this, the samples valuable structural information is preserved, making it possible for researchers to directly observe structural variants including translocations and inversions.

The simplicity, affordability and speed of Irys, which can analyze several gigabases of data per hour, make it an ideal genome mapping solution for labs of any size, said Todd Dickinson, Vice President of Commercial Operations for BioNano Genomics. We envision broad applications throughout biomedical research and ultimately molecular diagnostics.

Complex genomes contain highly repetitive sequences and prove challenging for whole genome assembly, said Pui-Yan Kwok, MD, PhD, Henry Bachrach Distinguished Professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and senior author of a study published in Nature Biotechnology, which demonstrated the utility of the Irys platform for structural variation analysis and de novo assembly of next generation sequencing (NGS) data. The BioNano approach to genome mapping readily handled these issues, and allowed us to achieve haplotype-resolved de novo assembly of the notoriously difficult human MHC region. We are thrilled with the quality of data we are getting with the Irys system and are now deploying this new technology broadly across our research program.

Dr. Kwok will join Dr. Holmlin and other experts at ASHG to lead an educational workshop about Irys at 12:45 p.m. on Nov. 8 at Moscone Center, Room 301. Register to attend the workshop to learn more about the new system, or visit BioNano Genomics Booth 924/926 on the ASHG expo floor.

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BioNano Genomics Launches Irys, a Novel Platform for Complex Human Genome Analysis