Marco Island, FL – February 27, 2025 – AGBT’s 25th anniversary did not disappoint! Against a backdrop of tumultuous times for researchers, it was the perfect time to be back in Marco Island that once again felt like “home,” a place where the community could come together, share insights, and navigate challenges. Many attendees reflected on the growing pressures on science, with some brainstorming how the community and prominent leaders in the field could do more to communicate the value that the space brings to society. “I was on stage and didn’t mention it, and frankly, nobody did either - outside of some tangential comments, but Joe’s comments as a nod to the noted absence of Eric Green definitely struck a chord.” (and it’s likely B-Majoooooor; sorry I couldn’t resist). Despite this, the energy of the conference quickly took over, fueled by groundbreaking announcements and discussions.

The pre-AGBT buzz started well before we arrived, with Illumina’s spatial and constellation updates, Roche’s SBX details, Element’s AVITI24 roadmap, Ultima’s teaser, the Evo2 paper, and, of course, the NIH funding cuts damping the mood. Not surprisingly, many of these topics dominated discussions and our annual survey. JP Morgan was only six weeks ago, yet it already feels like old news, a testament to the breakneck speed of progress in genomics.

Beyond these major themes, we engaged in many dynamic conversations. As we do every year, we conducted a survey, asking 51 random attendees: “What will you remember most from AGBT 2025?” Responses were scored (3 points for the top mention, 2 points for the second, and 1 point for additional answers, up to 5 total responses), averaging 3.2 answers per attendee. The results below (accompanied by italicized quotes) reflect the pulse of the conference but do not necessarily DeciBio’s stance.

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Survey Results:

Roche impresses with its sequencing solution - 107 points & 42 mentions

We’ll be the first to admit that we’ve been skeptical about Roche’s ability to deliver a competitive nanopore-based sequencer over the past few years. But, as noted by one interviewee “the last mile of a marathon can be the longest”, Roche delivered at AGBT 2025. The anticipation built through their webinar leading up to their presentation, and the buzz continued throughout the conference. We haven’t seen such a dominant survey response since starting this survey a decade ago.

Roche’s Sequencing by Expansion (SBX) platform marks a significant re-entry into the NGS market, positioning the company as a strong high-throughput competitor. Key advantages include higher throughput, faster speed, and impressive accuracy (Q39 duplex mode). The Xpandomer-based chemistry offers scalability and potential cost-efficiency, though pricing details remain unknown.

“I think most people were impressed, and clearly, it was the talk of the town over the last few days […] Roche is a big player with deep pockets […] I want to see how this platform performs in the real world, not at the Broad, but in my lab.”

Regardless of the lingering questions, one thing appears clear: Roche is back in sequencing in a big way.

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Illumina is top of mind, but with mixed feedback - 42 points & 22 mentions

Illumina introduced a broad set of roadmap innovations, with a clear multiomics theme. Attendees highlighted spatial biology (50%), “Constellation” Mapped Reads (40%), and proteomics readouts (10%) as the most significant announcements. Several also mentioned other notable technologies, including multimodal data analysis, CRISPR applications, and methylation sequencing. “A single one of these announcements probably wouldn’t have made a big splash, but in combination, there is something for everyone. I’m curious to see how ‘Mapped Reads’ perform as this isn’t their first attempt to enter this market, and you still can’t match native long reads!”

Overall, Illumina’s innovations were seen as impactful, not only because of the technologies themselves but also due to the company’s sheer scale and influence in genomics. As one respondent put it: “You can’t ignore announcements they make, given their installed base.”

While many were excited about the potential applications, others pointed out that these incremental updates are effective primarily because Illumina is the market leader: “Realistically, you can get better long reads with Oxford Nanopore, better spatial imaging with CosMx, lower costs with Bruker, and so on, but Illumina has the brand and the ecosystem, so they can get away with it […] and frankly we’re not switching.”

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NIH uncertainty casts a shadow over the conference - 33 points & 18 mentions

Concerns over U.S. NIH funding cuts loomed large, with many attendees citing it as a major source of anxiety for the genomics community. Financial constraints threaten to slow the adoption of new technologies and limit hiring. The uncertainty was palpable, with one notable absence making it even more tangible: As stated above, Eric Green, a longtime attendee and prominent leader in genomics, was missing from the event for the first time in AGBT’s history (to our knowledge).

Core lab directors, many of whom rely on NIH grants for infrastructure and staffing, expressed hesitation about investing in new equipment given the shifting funding landscape. One attendee summed up the dilemma: “Only a small fraction of my revenues actually come from indirects, but the university pays for my rent, electricity, etc. I can imagine that changing, which would be a real issue.”

The trickle-down effects of reduced NIH funding were top of mind, with some researchers worried about delayed projects, fewer faculty hires, and even potential closures of smaller labs. Some saw this as an opportunity for industry to step in and fill the gap, but others remained deeply concerned that short-term budget cuts could lead to long-term damage in basic and translational research.

“I feel like this turmoil has, in some ways, brought our community closer, shifting the dynamic between sponsors and academics, realizing that we’re in the same boat!”

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Spatial biology moves beyond discovery towards applications - 18 points & 11 mentions

For only the second time in six years, spatial biology didn’t top the list of AGBT takeaways, but it remained a key focal point. Unlike previous years, where the emphasis was on technological advancements and data generation, this year’s discussions centered on how spatial biology is being applied in more meaningful, potentially clinical ways, or to really understand pathways and cell-cell interaction.

Attendees highlighted a shift from descriptive analyses to functional, application-driven insights, with one noting: "Complex signatures are now being identified, rather than just using the technology to detect single markers."

As spatial biology matures, the focus is evolving from simply mapping where molecules are located to understanding their biological significance, especially in areas like cancer research, neuroscience, and immunology. With multiple players now competing in the space, the emphasis is increasingly on how these platforms can be integrated into broader multiomic workflows, further reinforcing the growing convergence of genomics, proteomics, and spatial biology.

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Bruker steps into the genomics spotlight - 11 points & 8 mentions

Once seen as a peripheral player in genomics, Bruker made a strong impression at AGBT 2025, with attendees taking note of its growing presence in spatial biology and multiomics, obviously in part due to its Nanostring acquisition. Bruker’s advancements in high-resolution spatial imaging and proteomics integration caught the interest of attendees with many impressed with the lack of trade-offs required to now analyze the full transcriptome in a tissue section, with high sensitivity. One attendee summed up the shift: "A year ago, I wouldn’t have thought of Bruker as a genomics company, and now, they’re a serious player in cutting edge spatial biology."

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Multiomics takes central stage - 11 points & 8 mentions

A niche discussion point just 2 years ago, multiomics has firmly established itself as a dominant theme at AGBT 2025. While spatial biology previously drove much of the excitement around multiomic approaches, this year showcased a more holistic integration of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and epigenomics across multiple platforms.

As described above, Illumina underscored its commitment to multiomics by unveiling a suite of capabilities. Element Biosciences, building on its AVITI24 roadmap, reinforced its own pivot toward multiomics, while Pixelgen or first-time AGBT attendee Olink highlighted the growing role of proteomics in this expanding ecosystem.

The shift toward multiomic applications was evident across “most” exhibitor floor and sponsor workshops, with companies ranging from 10x Genomics (Chromium, spatial workflows) and Scale Bio (QuantumScale single-cell kits) to Ultima Genomics (UG 100 Solaris), Bruker (CosMx, GeoMx, cellscape), Complete Genomics (T1 for spatial), and others showcasing products designed to capture multiple layers of biological data.

As a result, AGBT 2025 felt like a conference divided into two distinct camps—one where clinically oriented discussions reinforced genomics as the foundation for diagnostics and treatments, and another where research-focused sessions leaned heavily into multiomics, particularly for high-throughput single-cell and spatial analyses.

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Ultima unveils a roadmap to a $80 genome (and declining) and liquid bio advancements - 10 points & 7 mentions

Ultima Genomics continued to push the limits of low-cost, high-throughput sequencing with the launch of UG 100 Solaris. The latest advancements increase sequencing output by >50% (to 10-12B reads / wafer) while reducing sequencing costs by 20% (to $0.24 / M reads), bringing in the $80 genome (10 bottles of Perrier at the JW Marriott!). These improvements impressed many in the crowd, while others remained skeptical. In addition to Solaris, Ultima introduced UG 100 Solaris Boost, an early-access high-throughput mode producing 100B reads / day, aiming to power population-scale sequencing, AI/ML-driven drug discovery, and large-scale omics projects. CEO Gilad Almogy emphasized Ultima’s commitment to driving sequencing costs lower in the future. "Ultima keeps making sequencing cheaper and faster […] if they can scale this, it changes the economics of genomics entirely."

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De-extinction captivates with a vision for the future, for animals, and humans - 10 points & 6 mentions

We missed the session, but attendees couldn’t stop talking about it! The presentation (including apparently 2 talks) stood out as one of the most talked-about talks at AGBT 2025, sparking excitement about the “tools developed along the way that can have incredible implications for human health.”

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10X Genomics stays the course with incremental updates - 7 points & 4 mentions

Unlike previous years, 10x Genomics didn’t make waves with a breakthrough this year, instead focusing on incremental product updates that build upon its existing portfolio. While the company remains a dominant player in single-cell and spatial biology, some attendees noted that this year’s announcements felt more evolutionary than revolutionary. Refinements to its workflows (flex 96) were welcome updates for many.

AI is here, quietly transforming genomics – and just getting started - 3 points & 3 mentions

While AI didn’t dominate the conversation at AGBT 2025, it was ubiquitous, woven seamlessly into product launches, company roadmaps, and scientific talks without fanfare. Unlike past years, where AI was often framed as an aspirational technology, this year it felt more integrated, less of a buzzword and more of a fundamental tool powering advancements across genomics, multiomics, and spatial biology.

From Illumina’s multimodal data analysis tools to 10x Genomics’ Cloud Analysis for Large Studies and Ultima’s AI/ML-driven sequencing applications, AI is increasingly embedded into high-throughput workflows, improving data interpretation, and scaling genomic research. "It wasn’t front and center, but AI is everywhere now, it’s just part of how we analyze and make sense of the massive data we’re generating." And it’s just getting started! For those interested, have a look at the Evo2 paper.  

While high-throughput sequencing, multiomics, and spatial biology dominated the conversation, attendees also highlighted several broader trends shaping the field:

·   Single-cell genomics continued to solidify its role as a foundational technology, with researchers leveraging it across a variety of applications. While no major breakthroughs were announced, it remains a staple in large-scale studies and translational research. “I think single cell will get a second breath as a field, as AI models are much more powerful when trained on single cell vs. bulk data.” (7 points, 3 mentions [but across various companies / context])

·   Long-read sequencing remained a key topic, particularly in poster sessions, where it was heavily represented despite perhaps receiving less attention in major talks. “Long reads are everywhere in posters, way more than in the actual presentations. It’s clear the field values them, but they’re still waiting for broader adoption.” (5 points, 3 mentions)

·   Meanwhile, Cellanome drew attention with a strong senior executive presence; its “A-team” was out in full force. While details were limited, it left some attendees curious about its potential impact on the space, as time is one critical dimension rarely address in the field. One attendee was surprised it hadn’t been mentioned more: "I’m only the second person to mention it? Who did you talk to? They’re up to something pretty cool […] you should go check out the poster." (We did! It’s cool!) (2 points, 2 mentions)

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Bonus quote from an AGBT fan:

·   "I’m not a fan of pre-AGBT announcements (as done by Roche, Illumina or Element) - I feel like I have to do homework before arriving, and it takes away some of the excitement that typically comes with the conference. It also removes the ‘early access’ advantage of being here in person […] AGBT is competitive to get into for a reason!"

Finally, we also had a chance to catch up with Maggie at Footprint Bioadvisors, who had some thoughtful comments: Roche, Ultima, and Illumina are becoming key players in multiomics! She was particularly impressed by Ultima’s innovation in pricing, flexibility and its outstanding performance, as well as the introduction of PCR-free preparation for liquid biopsy, enabling high-quality sequencing down to the single-molecule level. She noted critical gaps in liquid biopsy applications and emphasized the importance of targeting these challenges, particularly to improve sensitivity and accuracy for detecting rare signals, likening it to finding a "needle in a haystack.” She also highlighted innovations in epigenetics from Agilent, Watchmaker, and NEB in this space and underscored the significance of concurrently detecting methylation and structural variants for multimodal MCED and MRD in advancing precision medicine.

This article was expedited, so please excuse any typos (that our analyst ChatGPT may have missed)! #NGSisUnstoppable

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Authors: Stephane Budel and Miguel Edwards, Partners at DeciBio Consulting, LLC
Connect with Miguel and Stephane

Disclaimer: Companies listed above may be DeciBio clients and/or customers

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