Illumina and AVITI at a glance
Both platforms - Illumina and AVITI (Element Biosciences) - offer advanced sequencing technologies but differ in market track record, sequencing chemistry, and technical specifications.
- Illumina - an established NGS sequencing standard with more than 25 years on the market. It uses sequencing by synthesis (SBS), supports a broad range of applications, delivers high throughput (up to 20 billion reads per run), and achieves Q30 accuracy. Illumina has an extensive global service network, with hundreds of validated protocols and applications documented in a vast body of scientific literature.
- AVITI - a newer entrant (since 2022) using the innovative Avidity Sequencing chemistry. It delivers Q40+ accuracy, a lower cost per Gb of data, and compatibility with Illumina libraries. Instrument and reagent availability remains limited but is expanding, while the global support network is still developing. Because the platform has been available for only a short time, data on failure rates, common issues, and established corrective actions remain scarce.
Both platforms have distinct strengths. The choice should reflect the project's requirements, available budget, and expected sequencing scale.
Comparison table
The table below provides an objective comparison of Illumina and AVITI platforms based on scientific publications and manufacturers' specifications:
ILLUMINA VS AVITI COMPARISON12 criteria
| Criterion | Illumina | AVITI (Element Biosciences) |
|---|---|---|
| Time on the market | Since 1998 | Since 2022 (company founded in 2017) |
| Technology | Sequencing by Synthesis (SBS) | Avidity Sequencing |
| Read length | MiniSeq: up to 2×150 bp; MiSeq: up to 2×300 bp; NextSeq: up to 2×150 bp; NovaSeq 6000: up to 2×250 bp; NovaSeq X: up to 2×150 bp | 2×75 bp, 2×150 bp, 2×300 bp; synthetic reads up to 5 kb (LoopSeq) |
| Read accuracy | Q30 (99.9% accuracy, 1 error per 1,000 bases)* | Q40 (99.99% accuracy, 1 error per 10,000 bases)* |
| Maximum reads per run | Up to 20 billion (NovaSeq X Plus) | Up to 2 billion reads (2×150 bp, 38 h) |
| Run time | 13-44 h (depending on configuration) | 20-60 h (depending on mode) |
| Library compatibility | Requires Illumina-compatible libraries; broad selection of protocols | Compatible with Illumina libraries; proprietary kits available (Cloudbreak, Trinity) |
| Availability | Extensive global support network | Expanding; availability varies by region |
| Reliability | Generally considered stable; cases of barcode hopping have been reported for HiSeq 4000 and NovaSeq | No major issues reported; the technology is new, with less evidence on long-term stability |
| Cost (instrument) | > USD 1 million (NovaSeq X); higher reagent costs | Approx. USD 350,000; lower cost per Gb of data |
| Applications | WGS, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, Metagenomic sequencing, clinical diagnostics | WGS, RNA-seq, Amplicon sequencing, Metagenomic sequencing, RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq, Small RNA-seq) |
| Number of available models | At least 9 models (MiniSeq, MiSeq, iSeq 100, NextSeq 550/1000/2000, NovaSeq 6000/X, HiSeq) | 3 models (AVITI, AVITI LT, AVITI24) |
* Sequencing accuracy and read quality depend on library quality, which in turn depends on sample quality. Sample quality therefore has a major impact on sequencing data quality!
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IlluminaAVITIElement Biosciencessequencing platformstechnology comparison
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