We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Metagenomics SMRT Grant for HiFi shotgun metagenomics. This year’s program received hundreds of amazing proposals from researchers around the globe, each one on the pursuit to learn even more from the microbiome. With so many groundbreaking ideas, we couldn’t stop at just one awardee, so we picked four!
Join us in congratulating these bold scientists who are charting the future of human, cancer, and soil metagenomics research. We can’t wait to see the discoveries they’ll uncover with the power of high-accuracy, long-read HiFi sequencing.
2026 Metagenomic SMRT Grant Winners
Hannah-Trivett, PhD – University of Birmingham, UK
Research Fellow, Hall Lab
Department of Microbes Infection and Microbiomes
LinkedIn | Bluesky | Lab website | Univ website
Benchmarking methylation-informed MGE-host linkage for resistome profiling in infant microbiomes
PacBio HiFi sequencing will be piloted for longitudinal infant gut microbiome samples from the Pregnancy and Early Life (PEARL) cohort to investigate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dynamics in early life. PEARL provides comprehensively sampled maternal and infant microbiomes across the first two years, capturing rapid developmental changes. By integrating high-accuracy long reads with native DNA methylation signals, we will assess strain-specific methylation signatures and their association with mobile genetic elements (MGEs), providing insight into how MGEs contribute to AMR. This work will evaluate the feasibility of methylation-informed host-MGE attribution during early resistome development.
Patrick Rynkiewicz, MS – University of Pennsylvania, USA
PhD Student in Genomics and Computational Biology, Babdor Lab
Perelman School of Medicine
LinkedIn | Bluesky | Lab website
Investigating metagenome-based microbiome signatures in hereditary cancer outcomes
Individuals carrying BRCA, Li-Fraumeni, or Lynch syndrome germline variants show strikingly variable outcomes: some remain cancer-free, while others develop early or multiple malignancies. Short-read metagenomics has linked microbial taxa and functions to cancer but often cannot resolve strain-level variation or connect functional genes, phages, prophages, and other mobile elements to their bacterial hosts. We will use PacBio HiFi sequencing on stool from 24 cancer-affected carriers and 24 matched cancer-free carriers, selected from a 400-sample inherited-cancer cohort with paired blood immune profiling. These pilot data will link microbial exposomes, inflammatory immune states, and cancer status, supporting full-cohort profiling.
Abigail Green, BS – Virginia Tech, USA
PhD Student, LEAPH and Vinatzer Labs
Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology Interdisciplinary Program
LinkedIn | LEAPH Lab | Vinatzer Lab
Mapping soilborne pathogen abundance across diverse terrestrial ecosystems in the US
Understanding soilborne pathogen distributions and the underlying ecological drivers is vital for predicting human, plant, and animal disease emergence and transmission. By using PacBio HiFi metagenomic sequencing for taxonomic classification and functional profiling on a subset of 1,004 soil samples systematically collected from diverse terrestrial ecosystems across the US, we will evaluate and select the best-performing metagenomic classifier for PacBio long-read sequencing. We will then develop a nationwide map identifying geographic hotspots of human-, animal-, and plant-associated pathogens in soil and the key environmental factors shaping their distributions. This mapping will support targeted pathogen surveillance and provide new insight into the ecological mechanisms governing the large-scale biogeography of soilborne pathogen communities.
Robert D. Burk, MD – Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA
Professor and Vice Chair for Translational Research
Department of Pediatrics (Division of Genetic Medicine)
Professor, Departments of Microbiology & Immunology; Epidemiology & Population Health; Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health
Lab website | Einstein site | Experts site
HiFi metagenomics of cervicovaginal states driving HR-HPV persistence
Persistent HR-HPV infection is required for cervical cancer, yet short-read metagenomics cannot resolve the microbial strains, mobile elements, and functional genes that determine viral persistence. Building on our finding that molBV-defined CVM states precede and distinguish persistent infections from clearing infections, we will generate PacBio HiFi metagenomes from 48 longitudinal samples (24 women × 2 visits) representing persistent and clearing HR-HPV states in the Mount Sinai HPV natural history cohort. HiFi sequencing will reconstruct strain-resolved genomes, mobile elements, and functional pathways to identify mechanisms of immune evasion and HPV persistence, revealing biomarkers and therapeutic targets to advance precision cervical cancer prevention.
How to apply for PacBio grants
The PacBio Grant Program invites researchers across the world to apply for complimentary PacBio sequencing services for a diverse array of genomics research projects. To participate, choose an active grant program that aligns with your research area and complete the application by explaining how your important work would benefit from PacBio sequencing. Applications are thoroughly reviewed by experts in each application. Selected winners are notified by PacBio to arrange for free sequencing, which can include free consumables, library preparation, and preliminary bioinformatic analyses, all provided by an authorized sequencing service provider (terms and conditions apply).
These opportunities include research across all areas of life sciences. For researchers decoding complex microbial communities, investigating cancer, conserving biodiversity, or exploring the most challenging regions of the human genome – there’s a PacBio grant designed to support your vision.
A huge thank-you to all the applicants for sharing your inspiring ideas, and to our co-sponsor SeqCenter for making the 2026 Metagenomics SMRT Grant possible.
Curious about what’s next for your own research? Explore our current opportunities.
