Check out your Company Bowl for anonymous work chats.
Every year, employees receive a Health and Lifestyle Allowance (HLA) to support activities that promote their overall wellness. This motivated Shivani Thorat, a Business Systems Analyst, to earn a scuba diving certification to help protect and preserve our oceans. Initially, swimming was one of her biggest fears. After a scary water incident, she took matters into her own hands. A friend offered her the opportunity to snorkel, and shortly afterward Shivani discovered a #passion for scuba diving. As well as seeing beautiful marine life and coral reefs, Shivani witnessed coral bleaching and trash in the ocean. This deepened her understanding of why we need to preserve our oceans. By obtaining a PADI® Open Water Scuba Diver certification through our HLA benefit, Shivani will be able to #volunteer at the reef restoration foundation as a diver to help plant, grow, and restore coral reefs for generations to come! #IlluminaProud
We are proud to announce that Illumina inaugurated its first manufacturing site in Shanghai, China, the third global manufacturing location in addition to the United States and Singapore. To better serve local customers, Illumina's new Shanghai-based facility will manufacture gene sequencing instruments and consumables locally, in pursuit of our mission to improve human health around the world by unlocking the power of the genome.
She’s a tennis legend. She beat cancer. And now she’s a guest speaker at #IGF. Don’t miss Chris Evert joining us for a powerful fireside chat, “Taking on My Nastiest Opponent Yet."
We are proud to be named to the #FTSE4Good Index Series for the third consecutive year! The Series was created to identify companies that demonstrate strong #ESG practices measured against globally recognized standards, and this year's inclusion is an affirmation of our ongoing commitment to building a more equitable and sustainable future.
Kanan J., a Staff Software Engineer, finds herself exploring and photographing the beauty of nature as part of her healing journey. Having been diagnosed with cancer, Kanan has faced both physical and mental challenges that have made her realize how important it is to cherish #nature. "In nature, I find that my mind and body are restored to balance, and it reminds me to live in the present moment, which is a powerful healing mechanism." Through the Health and Lifestyle Allowance (HLA) we offer, she was able to purchase a new rain jacket and waterproof hiking boots for her recent explorations in Norway and Sweden. We're looking forward to seeing all the incredible photos you take along your next journey, Kanan! #IlluminaProud
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Former US President Barack Obama will participate in a moderated conversation on September 28 at the Illumina Genomics Forum. Join us for an important conversation. Register now: https://bit.ly/3IN0R26
Microbiologist Dr. Barry Goldman believes the microbes in his local soil have the power to solve some of the world’s worst problems. If identified and cultivated, they could kill disease-carrying mosquitoes or prevent other insects from destroying crop yields. To prove his point, he launched a study to see what was in his own garden dirt. From 10 sandwich-sized bags of soil, he found 10 novel microbes that could kill the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the Zika virus. His team has since found 50 more microbes that are natural insecticides. This potential gave Goldman the confidence to leave his 18-year career in synthetic biology and launch a St. Louis-based startup called Pluton Biosciences with five co-founders in 2017. A member of the Illumina Accelerator SF Bay Area 2020 cohort, Pluton has raised $6.7 million in seed money. The funds will help develop a discovery “micromining” platform for next-generation biosolutions. Learn more about how Pluton is using Illumina's sequencers to identify #microbes that naturally control pests and boost agricultural yields:
“CGP is the only test I order in the clinic that actually tells me what I can do. You’ll never regret sending CGP,” says Sandip Patel, M.D., Medical Oncologist, Associate Professor of Medicine, UC San Diego Health. Read more from our #ASCO22 panelists pushing precision medicine forward.
#PrideMonth is a time for us to reflect on those in the LGBTQ+ community who have paved the way for others in #genomics research. This month, we’re celebrating acclaimed Stanford neuroscientist Ben Barres (1954-2017). Ben wanted to figure out the causes of the brain tissue degeneration seen in diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. His research focused on the nine of every 10 cells in the human brain that aren’t nerve cells, or neurons. They’re called glial cells or, collectively, glia. Barres’ path-breaking discoveries of the crucial roles played by glial cells revolutionized the field of neuroscience. He was also the first openly transgender scientist in the National Academy of Sciences. Throughout Pride Month, we are featuring employee-nominated LGBTQIA+ legends in science, research and biotech to showcase their contributions. #SciencistSpotlight #Pride
Some cancer samples are heterogeneous, which can make identifying the right disease-causing variants difficult. To better understand variant calling accuracy in #CancerGenomics, our researchers developed a method using #PopulationGenetics. Learn more👇
