PacBio Sequencing for Allele-Specific HLA Typing to be Showcased at American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) Annual Meeting

MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc., (Nasdaq:PACB) provider of the PacBio^® RS II DNA Sequencing System, today announced that its unique Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT^®) Sequencing technology will be featured in a number of presentations at the 2014 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) 40^th Annual Meeting taking place October 20-24 in Denver, CO.

“With industry-leading read lengths, accuracy, and fast turnaround time, the PacBio RS II can sequence full-length HLA gene alleles and reliably provide directly phased HLA types without imputation,” said Kevin Corcoran, Senior Vice President of Market Development for Pacific Biosciences. “We have received a lot of interest over the past year in HLA applications on our platform and are excited to participate in the ASHI conference to showcase our unique solution and discuss emerging immunogenomic research applications.”

Attendees at the meeting can learn more about SMRT Sequencing at the following presentations:

Podium Presentations:

Tuesday, October 21

Session: New & Improved NGS

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

• OR01: Automated Assembly of Complex Immunogenetic Haplotypes Using Long-Read, Single Molecule, Real-Time Sequencing of Fosmids

  Richard J. Hall, Ph.D., Pacific Biosciences, Menlo Park, CA

• OR05: Complete Resequencing of Extended Genomic Regions Using Fosmid Target Capture and Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT^®) Long Read Sequencing Technology

  Daniel Geraghty, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA

Thursday, October 23

Session: Scholar Awards

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

• OR59: Generation of 252 HLA Class I Genomic Sequences in a Single Sequencing Reaction Using DNA Barcodes and Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) DNA Sequencing Technology

  Dr. Neema P. Mayor, Anthony Nolan, London, United Kingdom; UCL Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom

Workshop:

Wednesday, October 22

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

“Advances in Fully Phased HLA & KIR Typing Using SMRT^® Sequencing”

• The Challenge of HLA Diversity in 2014

  Prof. Steve Marsh, Anthony Nolan Research Institute & University College London

• Clinical HLA Typing on PacBio Platform

  Nezih Cereb, M.D., President & CEO, Histogenetics

• KIR Haplotypes: The Long and Short of It

  Martin Maiers, Ph.D., Director, Bioinformatics Research, National Bone Marrow Donor Program

Posters:  

• LBP04: Application of Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing Technology for the Field 4 Level Genotyping of Classical HLA Loci

• LBP07: Evaluation of Multiplexing Strategies for HLA Genotyping Using PacBio Sequencing Technologies

Attendees can also visit members of the PacBio staff at booth #307. For more information or to register for the PacBio workshop visit: https://programs.pacificbiosciences.com/l/1652/2014-08-22/2wst89.

About the PacBio RS II and SMRT Sequencing

Pacific Biosciences’ SMRT Sequencing technology achieves the industry’s longest read lengths, highest consensus accuracy, and the least degree of bias. These characteristics, combined with the ability to detect many types of DNA base modifications (e.g., methylation) as part of the sequencing process, make the PacBio RS II an essential tool for many scientists studying genetic and genomic variation. The PacBio platform provides a sequencing solution that can address a growing number of complex medical, agricultural, and industrial problems.

About Pacific Biosciences

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (Nasdaq:PACB) offers the PacBio RS II DNA Sequencing System to help scientists solve genetically complex problems. Based on its novel Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) technology, the company’s products enable: targeted sequencing to more comprehensively characterize genetic variations; de novo genome assembly to more fully identify, annotate, and decipher genomic structures; and DNA base modification identification to help characterize epigenetic regulation and DNA damage. By providing access to information that was previously inaccessible, Pacific Biosciences enables scientists to increase their understanding of biological systems. More information is available at www.pacb.com

CONTACT: For Pacific Biosciences:

         Media:

         Nicole Litchfield

         415.793.6468

         nicole@bioscribe.com



         Investors:

         Trevin Rard

         650.521.8450

         ir@pacificbiosciences.com

Source: Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.

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