Blog
June 11, 2018
New High-Resolution Genome Assemblies Expand Our Understanding of Human-Ape Differences
Ever since researchers sequenced the chimpanzee genome in 2005, they have known that humans share the vast majority of our DNA sequence with chimps, making them our closest living relatives….
June 6, 2018
New Resource for Microbiologists: Collection of 3,000 Bacteria Genomes Released
The genomes of 3,000 strains of bacteria, including some of the deadliest in the world, are now available to researchers as part of an ambitious project by the UK’s National…
May 24, 2018
Full-length HIV sequences reveal distinction between viruses in brain, other tissue
Scientists have made important inroads in understanding why patients with HIV develop neurological disorders despite treatments that otherwise hold the virus at bay. The project was made possible with SMRT…
May 16, 2018
Disease-Causing LINE-1 Insertions: Rare or Just Hard to Spot?
LINE-1 (long interspersed nuclear element) insertions cover almost 17% of the human genome, but they are notoriously difficult to resolve accurately with short-read sequencing technology, according to scientists in Portugal….
May 14, 2018
Codfish Study Employs Target Capture and SMRT Sequencing to Explore Evolution
Many investigators rely on targeted sequencing approaches for deep dives into genomic regions of interest. By designing specific probes — often using short-read sequences directed towards the exome and supported…
May 3, 2018
Introduction of the Iso-Seq method: state of the art for full-length transcriptome sequencing
In eukaryotic organisms, the majority of genes are alternatively spliced to produce multiple transcript isoforms. Gene regulation through alternative splicing can dramatically increase the protein-coding potential of a genome. Therefore,…
April 30, 2018
An Interview with Baylor’s Fritz Sedlazeck on New Long-Read Algorithms
Nature Methods just published “Accurate detection of complex structural variations using single-molecule sequencing,” a publication that presents the NGMLR aligner and Sniffles structural variant caller, both designed for use with…
April 26, 2018
AACR 2018 Recap: Iso-Seq Method Meets Cancer Research
The PacBio team is just back from Chicago, where we saw outstanding talks and posters at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting and enjoyed that city’s well-deserved…
April 24, 2018
Nature Webinar and SMRT Grant Winner Explore Structural Variation for Disease Gene Discovery
Structural variants account for most of the base pairs that differ between human genomes, and are known to cause more than 1,000 genetic disorders, including ALS, schizophrenia, and hereditary cancer….
April 17, 2018
Scientists Aim to Develop “Genomic Ark” of High-Quality Bat Genomes
Pop quiz: Which animal accounts for around 20% of all living mammals, harbors (yet survives) some of the world’s deadliest diseases, lives proportionately longer than humans given its body size,…
April 12, 2018
SMRT Sequencing Enables Characterization of Cavities-Causing Bacteria in Children
We’re told to avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates if we want our teeth to remain strong and cavity-free. But what is the role of microbiota in our oral health? Cavities…
April 11, 2018
HudsonAlpha Chooses Sequel System for NIH-Funded Program Focused on Challenging Pediatric Cases
At the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, scientists are building on advances in agricultural research to power a clinical pediatric research program. For this work, they’re using the Sequel System to…
April 9, 2018
Rice Revelations: Nine New Genome Assemblies Uncover Key Traits and Evolutionary Clues
Revered around the world, rice is a staple food for nearly half of the population. But as that population grows, rice breeders are faced with the challenge of producing crops…
April 5, 2018
New M. Oryzae Assembly Reveals Importance of Previously Missed Transposable Elements
A publication from the Molecular Plant journal demonstrates the use of SMRT Sequencing to characterize activity of transposable elements in Magnaporthe oryzae, the destructive fungus responsible for rice blast disease….
April 2, 2018
Disease-Causing Mobile Element Identified with SMRT Sequencing, Validated with CRISPR
In an exciting new Cell paper, scientists report identification of an intronic structural variant that causes a neurodegenerative Mendelian disorder that primarily affects people on the island of Panay in…