Combining next generation sequencing with advanced proteomic analysis can unlock deeper insights into human biology – including aging.
Genomics giant Illumina today announced plans to acquire proteomics specialist SomaLogic for $350 million, plus up to $75 million in performance-based milestones and royalties. The integration of the companies’ technologies represents a step toward harnessing the potential of so-called “multiomics” – combining data from multiple “omics” fields to gain a more comprehensive understanding of biological systems.
Illumina has long held a dominant position in the field of next-generation sequencing, with its platforms serving as critical infrastructure for global genomics research and clinical diagnostics. The company is now adding advanced expertise in proteomics by acquiring SomaLogic’s technology, which can quantify up to 7,000 human proteins from a minimal blood sample, enabling high-throughput, reproducible protein analysis. The fusion of the two companies should enable a more complete view of biological systems, advancing the ability to discover biomarkers, profile disease states with greater precision, and design next-generation diagnostics.
The two companies are by no means strangers, and have already been strategic collaborators since 2021, embedding SomaLogic’s proteomics workflows into Illumina’s scalable high-throughput next-generation-sequencing (NGS) ecosystem. The companies have combined their offerings to deliver Illumina’s Protein Prep solution, which will become broadly available in the third quarter of 2025.
“Illumina and SomaLogic have partnered closely for more than three years, and this combination increases our ability to serve our customers and accelerate our technology roadmap towards advanced biomarker discovery and disease profiling,” said Illumina CEO Jacob Thaysen. “We are taking the scalability of NGS into proteomics. Illumina will remain an open, accessible, and enabling NGS platform. The company is committed to maintaining and supporting its existing proteomics partnerships as well as continuing to develop the sequencing ecosystem and supporting a wide variety of multiomics solutions.”
The acquisition also has potential implications for longevity research and development. While genomic sequencing provides the structural framework of an individual’s biological code, proteomics offers insights into the dynamic processes that regulate health, disease progression, and, of course, aging. Indeed, proteomics can play a key role in elucidating the molecular underpinnings of aging, as circulating proteins are central to both the regulation of biological age and the early detection of age-related diseases. The ability to analyze proteins alongside genomic and transcriptomic data could help researchers uncover novel therapeutic targets and more accurately assess disease risk across the lifespan, supporting the development of precision medicine strategies that more effectively intervene in the aging process.
“Aligned to Illumina’s strategy, this deal marks a major step forward to unlock a deeper understanding of biology,” Illumina senior vice president Todd Christian told us. “By bringing together Illumina and SomaLogic, our respective portfolio of tools, R&D, and commercial capabilities, we will be able to accelerate the use of crucial new tools for our customers to advance the field of proteomics, including in areas like Alzheimer’s research, longevity, and chronic disease.”
Approximately 250 SomaLogic employees spanning R&D, commercial operations, and manufacturing will join the Illumina organization. Completion of the transaction is anticipated in the first half of 2026, with both companies continuing to operate independently until that time.
