PacBio (PACB) recently announced a key distribution agreement with Haorui Gene, a globally recognized leader in blood typing genomics. This strategic partnership grants PacBio access to a wider clinical laboratory network across China, accelerating the adoption of its HiFi sequencing technology. Haorui Gene, known for its expertise in genomic solutions and extensive reach within the clinical diagnostics ecosystem, will serve as an important channel partner to promote PacBio’s advanced long-read sequencing p ...

Core Insights - PacBio has licensed advanced deep learning-based DNA methylation detection methods from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to enhance its HiFi sequencing capabilities, specifically for detecting 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), hemimethylated 5-methylcytosine (5mC), and N6-methyladenine (6mA) [1][2][4] Technology and Innovation - The licensed technology includes the Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2), which utilizes an AI deep learning framework to improve the accuracy of methylation detection, including the ability to call native 5hmC in single molecules, a first for HiFi sequencing [2][4] - HiFi sequencing on Revio and Vega platforms allows for comprehensive genome and epigenome readouts from native DNA without chemical conversion or additional sample preparation, enhancing the efficiency of sequencing workflows [3][6] Market Impact - The integration of HK2 is expected to set a new standard for accuracy in DNA methylation detection, particularly for 5mC and 5hmC, which are crucial for research in cancer and human development [4][7] - Institutions like Children's Mercy Kansas City and GeneDx are already utilizing HiFi sequencing for genomic and epigenomic profiling, indicating a growing adoption of this technology in clinical settings [5] Future Prospects - The new capabilities from HK2 will be delivered to existing customers through software updates, ensuring no additional costs or changes to current sequencing protocols [3][8] - The ability to profile 5hmC is anticipated to open new avenues in liquid biopsy and cancer detection, maintaining DNA integrity and supporting haplotype-resolved analysis [6][8]