Illumina has made a strategic investment in Desktop Genetics (DTG) to advance DTG’s DESKGEN genome-editing software platform, the companies said today. The value of the investment was not disclosed.

The investment will focus on integrating the platform with next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, as well as improving CRISPR genome-editing workflows, Illumina and DTG said.

DESKGEN is designed to let researchers design CRISPR gene-editing experiments, purchase reagents, and find commercial entities to execute those experiments, and obtain results, without them having their own specialist laboratories.

“We have been impressed by DTG's proprietary DESKGEN platform for CRISPR-based gene editing. CRISPR is becoming increasingly important for NGS applications, and we are pleased to support DTG in executing their vision to build this market,” Nicholas Naclerio, Ph.D., svp of corporate and venture development at Illumina, said in a statement.