Ultima announces UG 100™ and reveals disruptive cost and accuracy profile to enable the era of the $100 genome and beyond

Ultima Genomics, Inc., a developer of a revolutionary new ultra-high throughput sequencing architecture, announced the full commercial availability of the UG 100TM sequencer today. The UG 100^TM system, Ultima’s first commercial product, leverages Ultima’s unique sequencing architecture featuring an open silicon wafer substrate to replace the traditional flow cells and enable the $100 genome and beyond.

Our goal when designing our sequencing architecture and the UG 100^TM was to provide a technology platform that enables a scalable roadmap beyond the $100 genome, ultra-high-output without the limitations of batching, and extreme accuracy in applications for which it is most needed, ... We are excited to be launching the UG 100^TM and helping the genomics community usher in the era of the $100 genome and beyond.

Gilad Almogy, founder and CEO of Ultima Genomics

The UG 100^TM, now available for purchase, features Ultima’s proprietary wafer-based sequencing substrate with flexible, non-kit-based sequencing reagent cartridges and a novel sequencing chemistry. Unlike more traditional kit-based approaches, this unique architecture allows built-in robotics, enabling full 24/7 run automation for improved flexibility with limited user touchpoints. The UG 100^TM system also leverages recent advancements in machine learning to improve base calling and variant calling algorithms for improved accuracy and performance.

Select key features of the UG 100 system include:

• Low-cost reagents. One wafer and reagent configuration for $2,000 delivers 6-8 B reads and an expected average read length of 300 base pairs or an output of up to 2.4 Tb per wafer. This scalable configuration enables the $100 genome at an industry-leading price of $1.00 per GB or $0.30 per million reads.
• Flexibility and automation. Dual wafer sequencing run output of up to 4.8 Tb at a run time of 14 hours, or less than 12 hours for shorter read applications, and 6-8 B reads per wafer reduces the need for complex batching while maintaining industry-leading price per Gb across a wide range of sample volume. On-tool robotics and automated run kick-off for full 24/7 operation and weekend sequencing operations with the standard 5-day work week.
• Clinical quality genomes. Unique flow-based chemistry and rapid advancements in AI-based base and variant calling enable accuracy on par with other platforms with SNV F1 of 99.8 % and INDEL F1 of 99.4 %. The updated GIAB reference data set is available on Ultima’s website.
• Extreme accuracy for rare event applications. Industry-leading SNV accuracy profile and extreme accuracy technology with ppmSEQ^TM.
• High production instrument. Capable of delivering 20 wafers per week and up to 20,000 genomes per year. For shorter read applications, the UG 100^TM delivers 28 wafers per week.

Introducing ppmSeq^TM – Q60 raw read accuracy for base substitutions

Today, the Company is also introducing ppmSeq^TM, a disruptive new mode for extreme raw read accuracy in calling single nucleotide variants (SNVs). ppmSeq^TM is a new proprietary feature enabled by Ultima’s unique approach that dramatically improves the raw read accuracy of calling SNVs by removing sample errors introduced upstream of the sequencing workflow. Using this feature, users of Ultima’s sequencing system can achieve raw error rates for SNVs as low as 1 in a million or Q60 levels of accuracy. Importantly, this feature is native to Ultima’s sequencer and does not require additional costs, extra reagents, or workflow modifications.

With the launch of the UG 100^TM system, Ultima looks to enable the next wave of biology powered by low-cost sequencing data generation. The UG 100^TM system is currently available to order.