Illumina introduces Billion Cell Atlas to accelerate AI and drug discovery

Rhea-AI Summary

Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) introduced the Illumina Billion Cell Atlas on January 13, 2026, a genome‑wide genetic perturbation dataset built to accelerate AI‑driven drug discovery.

The first tranche targets 1 billion individual cells across 200+ disease‑relevant cell lines, using CRISPR to perturb ~20,000 genes. Illumina plans a 5 billion cell resource over three years and expects to generate ~20 petabytes of single‑cell transcriptomic data within a year, processed via DRAGEN and hosted on Illumina Connected Analytics. AstraZeneca, Merck, and Eli Lilly are founding participants under an alliance framework.

Positive

• First tranche: 1 billion perturbed single cells across >200 disease‑relevant cell lines
• Planned scale: build a 5 billion cell atlas over three years
• Data throughput: ~20 petabytes of single‑cell transcriptomic data within a year
• Founding partners: AstraZeneca, Merck, Eli Lilly participating under alliance framework
• Platform integration: single‑cell capture with DRAGEN processing and Illumina Connected Analytics hosting

Negative

• Execution risk noted for developing future multi‑billion cell atlases
• Outcome depends on multiparty collaboration and partners' performance

News Market Reaction

+0.99%

1 alert

+0.99% News Effect

+$218M Valuation Impact

$22.24B Market Cap

4K Volume

On the day this news was published, ILMN gained 0.99%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction. This price movement added approximately $218M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $22.24B at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Cells in Atlas: 1 billion cells Planned Atlas scale: 5 billion cells Disease-relevant cell lines: More than 200 cell lines +5 more

8 metrics

Cells in Atlas 1 billion cells Responses to genetic changes via CRISPR in the Atlas

Planned Atlas scale 5 billion cells Goal to build 5 billion cell atlas over three years

Disease-relevant cell lines More than 200 cell lines Atlas coverage across disease‑relevant cell lines

Genes perturbed 20,000 genes CRISPR enables on/off switching of all genes in key cell types

Data volume 20 petabytes Single‑cell transcriptomic data generated within a year

Notes due 2030 $500,000,000 Aggregate principal amount of 4.750% notes due 2030

Coupon rate 4.750% Interest rate on notes due December 12, 2030

Existing 2025 notes $500 million 5.800% notes due December 12, 2025 outstanding as of Sep 28, 2025

Market Reality Check

Price: $119.72 Vol: Volume 1,646,395 is rough...

normal vol

$119.72 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,646,395 is roughly in line with the 1,652,302 20-day average (relative volume ~1.0). normal

Technical Trading above the 200-day MA at 100.7, with price at 145.55 and within 5% of the 52-week high 153.06.

Peers on Argus

ILMN gained 3.18% while key peers were mixed: WAT (-1.03%), LH (-0.69%), MEDP (+...

ILMN gained 3.18% while key peers were mixed: WAT (-1.03%), LH (-0.69%), MEDP (+0.21%), DGX (+0.07%), PKI (flat). No peers appeared in the momentum scanner, indicating a stock-specific move tied to the AI/genomics announcement rather than a broad sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 08 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 08	Leadership change	Neutral	-3.3%	New Chief Medical Officer and commercial leadership change announcement.
Jan 06	Product launch	Positive	+4.1%	Launch of Illumina Connected Multiomics cloud analysis platform.
Dec 16	Conference webcast	Neutral	-1.5%	Announcement of upcoming J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference presentation.
Dec 11	Collaboration deal	Positive	+1.1%	Collaboration and investment in MyOme supporting an AI‑enabled clinical trial.
Dec 11	Correction notice	Neutral	+1.1%	Correction related to previously announced MyOme collaboration details.

Pattern Detected

Product/platform and AI/multiomics launches have recently seen positive price alignment, while management changes and conference/webcast notices have skewed toward negative or divergent reactions.

Recent Company History

Over the last two months, Illumina has reported several strategic updates. On Dec 11, 2025, it announced a collaboration and strategic investment in MyOme tied to an AI‑enabled clinical trial, which coincided with a +1.13% move. A multiomics software launch on Jan 6, 2026 aligned with a +4.09% gain. In contrast, an executive appointment on Jan 8, 2026 and a J.P. Morgan conference webcast notice on Dec 16, 2025 both saw modest declines. Today’s AI‑centric Billion Cell Atlas fits the pattern of product/AI news that has often been met positively.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Illumina’s push into large‑scale AI‑ready datasets through the Billion ...

Analysis

This announcement highlights Illumina’s push into large‑scale AI‑ready datasets through the Billion Cell Atlas, targeting 1 billion cells now and 5 billion over three years across more than 200 disease‑relevant cell lines. The effort ties directly to prior multiomics and AI initiatives and is supported by major pharma collaborators. Investors may watch for adoption metrics, incremental data releases, and how these atlases integrate with Illumina’s cloud and DRAGEN pipelines, alongside upcoming financial updates referenced in recent regulatory filings.

Key Terms

crispr, ai/ml, single-cell rna-sequencing, transcriptomic, +2 more

6 terms

crispr medical

"The Atlas will capture how 1 billion individual cells respond to genetic changes via CRISPR across more than 200 disease‑relevant cell lines."

CRISPR is a gene‑editing technology that works like precise molecular scissors to change DNA in living cells. For investors, it matters because it can speed development of new therapies, lower research costs, and create valuable intellectual property, but it also carries scientific, regulatory, ethical, and commercial risks that can strongly affect the value and prospects of companies working with the technology.

ai/ml technical

"The data will help train the company's proprietary AI/ML foundation models and build virtual cell models, with the aim of improving prediction of disease indications."

AI/ML stands for artificial intelligence and machine learning, software systems that identify patterns in data and make predictions or automate decisions, improving performance as they process more information. Investors care because these technologies can boost revenue, cut costs and create competitive advantages — like a factory that learns to produce goods faster and with fewer mistakes — while also introducing execution, ethical and regulatory risks that can affect a company’s value.

single-cell rna-sequencing medical

"single-cell RNA-sequencing data is processed using the Illumina's DRAGEN pipeline with hardware acceleration"

Single-cell RNA-sequencing is a laboratory method that reads which genes are active inside each individual cell, rather than averaging activity across many cells. Like listening to each musician in an orchestra instead of the whole ensemble at once, it reveals rare cell types, disease-driving changes, and precise targets for drugs or diagnostics—information that can change a biotech company’s development plans, competitive value, and risk profile for investors.

transcriptomic medical

"The Atlas will generate data at a rate of 20 petabytes of single-cell transcriptomic data within a year."

Transcriptomic describes anything related to the transcriptome — the complete set of RNA messages a cell or tissue makes at a given time, which shows which genes are actively being used. Think of it like a snapshot of which recipes are being cooked in a kitchen; for investors, transcriptomic data matters because it helps identify drug targets, predict treatment response, and validate whether a therapy is affecting biology as intended, all of which can change a company’s development prospects and valuation.

dragen technical

"data is processed using the Illumina's DRAGEN pipeline with hardware acceleration"

DRAGEN is a high-speed, specialized computing system for analyzing DNA sequencing data that turns raw genetic reads into usable results much faster and with fewer errors than general-purpose software. For investors, the platform matters because it can significantly lower the time and cost to deliver clinical or research-grade genetic tests, increase lab throughput, and affect a company’s competitive position and regulatory readiness — similar to how a faster, more reliable factory line boosts output and margins.

cloud platform technical

"then hosted on the Illumina Connected Analytics cloud platform for scalable analysis."

A cloud platform is an online service that lets businesses run software, store data, and access computing power over the internet instead of using their own servers—think of it as renting space and tools in a shared, remote office or utility grid. For investors, it matters because cloud platforms often create steady, repeatable revenue, enable rapid growth with lower upfront cost, and concentrate risks around security, outages and customer lock-in that can affect a company’s profitability and valuation.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

The Atlas will enable the validation of genetic targets and training of AI models at unprecedented scale

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) today introduced the world's largest genome-wide genetic perturbation dataset, being built to accelerate drug discovery through AI across the pharmaceutical ecosystem. The Illumina Billion Cell Atlas is the first tranche of its program to build a 5 billion cell atlas over three years, and will be the most comprehensive map of human disease biology to date.

Under an alliance framework with AstraZeneca, Merck, and Eli Lilly and Company leading as founding participants, the Atlas is already in build for a curated set of cell lines to drive drug target validation, train advanced AI models at scale, and advance research into fundamental disease mechanisms that have previously been out of reach.

"We believe the cell atlas is a key development that will enable us to significantly scale AI for drug discovery," said Jacob Thaysen, chief executive officer of Illumina. "We are building an unparalleled resource for training the next generation of AI models for precision medicine and drug target identification, ultimately helping map the biological pathways behind some of the world's most devastating diseases."

Merck will leverage the Atlas to accelerate precision medicine approaches across their drug discovery pipelines. The data will help train the company's proprietary AI/ML foundation models and build virtual cell models, with the aim of improving prediction of disease indications.

"By harnessing advanced genomic patient datasets, Merck scientists are building and leveraging AI models grounded in real biological variation —not just literature text —and translating those insights into novel targets and precision biomarkers that matter for patients," said Iya Khalil, vice president and head of Data, A.I. & Genome Sciences, Merck. "Through our close collaboration with Illumina, we're establishing a scalable bridge from genomic insight to therapeutic impact, accelerating the path from discovery to the clinic and enabling a deeper understanding of complex disease biology with unprecedented confidence and speed."

AI and human genomics form the new frontiers of biopharma discovery

The Atlas will capture how 1 billion individual cells respond to genetic changes via CRISPR across more than 200 disease‑relevant cell lines. These cell lines have been selected for their relevance to diseases, many of which have been historically difficult to decode, including immune disorders and cancer as well as cardiometabolic, neurological, and rare genetic diseases. This CRISPR technology enables researchers to rapidly study the effects of switching on and off all 20,000 genes in key cell types throughout the body. 

The Atlas will enable users to characterize drug and disease mechanisms of action, explore potential new indications, and validate candidate targets from human genetics.

"Translating genetic information into a clear understanding of disease mechanisms — and then ultimately into medicines — remains a core challenge in R&D," said Slavé Petrovski, vice president, Centre for Genomics Research, AstraZeneca. "By showing how specific genetic perturbations play out inside human cells, we can help turn genetic signals into mechanistic biology we can directly study, bringing greater clarity to drug development decisions." 

"The next generation of AI‑driven drug discovery will depend on biological data at a scale never before achieved," said Ruth Gimeno, group vice president, Cardiometabolic Research, Eli Lilly and Company. "Comprehensive datasets spanning diverse cell types offer the critical foundation needed to generate meaningful insights into human disease."

How the BioInsight team built Illumina's first data product

The Atlas is the first data product to emerge from Illumina's new BioInsight business. The scale of the Atlas is feasible only with the power of the Illumina Single Cell 3' RNA prep platform, which enables millions of individual cells to be captured in a single experiment. The Atlas will generate data at a rate of 20 petabytes of single-cell transcriptomic data within a year. To handle data of this magnitude, single-cell RNA-sequencing data is processed using the Illumina's DRAGEN pipeline with hardware acceleration and then hosted on the Illumina Connected Analytics cloud platform for scalable analysis.

Illumina's newly-created BioInsight business is set to provide the foundational technologies and datasets to power the next generation of drug discovery and AI in pharma. By launching the Illumina Billion Cell Atlas and developing comprehensive, disease-specific perturbation datasets paired with advanced AI algorithms, Illumina is advancing the next-generation of cellular modeling.

Illumina is actively expanding multi-billion cell atlases over time with its partners. This new Billion Cell Atlas builds on Illumina's initiative announced last February to ultimately create a 5 billion single-cell resource.

Illumina CEO Jacob Thaysen will be presenting at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 13, 2026. The webcast can be accessed through investor.illumina.com. To learn more about the Illumina Billion Cell Atlas and other multiomics initiatives, visit this link.

Use of forward-looking statements 

This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors to which our business is subject that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements are: (i) challenges inherent in researching, developing and launching new technologies, including future multi-billion cell atlases; (ii) our and our partners' ability to deploy new products, services, and applications, and to expand the markets for genomics-related products and services; and (iii) the challenges associated with multiparty collaborations, including our reliance on the performance of such partners, together with other factors detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which are released beforehand. We undertake no obligation, and do not intend, to update these forward-looking statements, to review or confirm analysts' expectations, or to provide interim reports or updates on the progress of the current quarter. 

About Illumina 

Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical, and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit illumina.com and connect with us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 

Contacts

Investors: 
Illumina Investor Relations 
858-291-6421 
IR@illumina.com 

Media: 
Christine Douglass 
PR@illumina.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/illumina-introduces-billion-cell-atlas-to-accelerate-ai-and-drug-discovery-302659376.html

SOURCE Illumina, Inc.

FAQ

What is the Illumina Billion Cell Atlas announced on January 13, 2026 (ILMN)?

It is a genome‑wide genetic perturbation dataset; the first tranche targets 1 billion single cells to accelerate AI‑driven drug discovery.

How large will Illumina's multi‑cell resource be and what is the timeline (ILMN)?

Illumina plans a 5 billion cell atlas over three years, starting with a 1 billion‑cell tranche.

Which pharma companies are founding participants in the Illumina Billion Cell Atlas (ILMN)?

AstraZeneca, Merck, and Eli Lilly are named as founding participants under an alliance framework.

How much data will the Illumina Billion Cell Atlas produce and where is it processed (ILMN)?

The Atlas is expected to generate ~20 petabytes of single‑cell transcriptomic data within a year, processed with DRAGEN and hosted on Illumina Connected Analytics.

What scientific scope does the Billion Cell Atlas cover (ILMN)?

It captures responses to CRISPR perturbations across ~20,000 genes in >200 disease‑relevant cell lines, including immune, cancer, cardiometabolic, neurological, and rare disease models.

What are the main risks Illumina highlighted for the Billion Cell Atlas (ILMN)?

Illumina cited challenges in researching and launching multi‑billion cell atlases and reliance on multiparty collaborations and partner performance.