(same article,just shorter version)from PacBio Blog ( Wednesday, July 3, 2013Genome Biology Commentary Discusses the Advantages of SMRT Sequencing
A new commentary in Genome Biology from highly respected scientific authors, including a Nobel Prize winner, highlights the benefits of Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) Sequencing. The commentary, entitled “The advantages of SMRT sequencing,” comes from Richard Roberts at New England BioLabs, Mauricio Carneiro at the Broad Institute, and Michael Schatz at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
The authors begin with the premise that the PacBio® RS is sometimes overlooked as a next-generation sequencing option, even though it serves as “ideal approach to the complete sequencing of small genomes.”
The commentary focuses on three advantages of SMRT Sequencing: extraordinarily long reads, methylation data, and high accuracy in conjunction with lack of sequencing bias. The scientists note the importance of long reads for de novo genome assemblies and for sequencing through repeats and other complex regions. Because SMRT Sequencing can directly detect chemical base modifications to RNA and DNA, such as methylation, the authors state that the technology provides key functional information through the sequencing process. Finally, they highlight the lack of systematic bias in this sequencing method; as a result, “SMRT sequencing provides a highly accurate statistically averaged consensus perspective of the genome, as it is highly unlikely that the same error will be randomly observed multiple times,” they write.
The authors say that all of these factors “make a strong case for combining the more traditional, sequence-dense data from other technologies with at least moderate coverage of SMRT data so that genomes can be improved, their methylation patterns obtained, and the functional activity of their methyltransferase genes deduced.” They conclude, “SMRT sequencing opens a new window that may have a dramatic effect on our understanding of this biology.”
A new commentary in Genome Biology from highly respected scientific authors, including a Nobel Prize winner, highlights the benefits of Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) Sequencing. The commentary, entitled “The advantages of SMRT sequencing,” comes from Richard Roberts at New England BioLabs, Mauricio Carneiro at the Broad Institute, and Michael Schatz at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
The authors begin with the premise that the PacBio® RS is sometimes overlooked as a next-generation sequencing option, even though it serves as “ideal approach to the complete sequencing of small genomes.”
The commentary focuses on three advantages of SMRT Sequencing: extraordinarily long reads, methylation data, and high accuracy in conjunction with lack of sequencing bias. The scientists note the importance of long reads for de novo genome assemblies and for sequencing through repeats and other complex regions. Because SMRT Sequencing can directly detect chemical base modifications to RNA and DNA, such as methylation, the authors state that the technology provides key functional information through the sequencing process. Finally, they highlight the lack of systematic bias in this sequencing method; as a result, “SMRT sequencing provides a highly accurate statistically averaged consensus perspective of the genome, as it is highly unlikely that the same error will be randomly observed multiple times,” they write.
The authors say that all of these factors “make a strong case for combining the more traditional, sequence-dense data from other technologies with at least moderate coverage of SMRT data so that genomes can be improved, their methylation patterns obtained, and the functional activity of their methyltransferase genes deduced.” They conclude, “SMRT sequencing opens a new window that may have a dramatic effect on our understanding of this biology.”
Recent PACB News
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 04/03/2026 08:05:09 PM
- Form 144 - Report of proposed sale of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 04/01/2026 09:17:23 PM
- Basecamp Research Selects PacBio HiFi Sequencing to Power Trillion Gene Atlas Initiative • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/18/2026 01:05:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/06/2026 09:06:02 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/05/2026 01:43:24 PM
- Form 3 - Initial statement of beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/05/2026 01:39:25 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/05/2026 01:34:48 PM
- PacBio Announces the Appointment of Chris Gibson to the Board of Directors • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 03/05/2026 01:30:00 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/04/2026 10:54:50 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/03/2026 11:16:01 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/03/2026 11:14:43 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/03/2026 11:13:04 PM
- Form S-3ASR - Automatic shelf registration statement of securities of well-known seasoned issuers • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/25/2026 09:41:37 PM
- Form S-8 - Securities to be offered to employees in employee benefit plans • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/25/2026 09:16:45 PM
- Form 10-K - Annual report [Section 13 and 15(d), not S-K Item 405] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/25/2026 09:03:36 PM
- PacBio and DNAstack Launch First Global Federated HiFi Whole Genome Dataset to Accelerate Rare Disease Research • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/24/2026 02:05:00 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/20/2026 01:33:35 AM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/20/2026 01:28:59 AM
- PacBio to Participate in the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/18/2026 09:05:00 PM
- Form 144 - Report of proposed sale of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/17/2026 11:27:54 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/12/2026 09:10:44 PM
- PacBio Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/12/2026 09:05:00 PM
- PacBio Joins iHope Initiative as First Long-Read Genomic Sequencing Partner • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 02/12/2026 12:00:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/03/2026 09:20:55 PM
- Form SCHEDULE 13G/A - Statement of Beneficial Ownership by Certain Investors: [Amend] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/03/2026 04:37:05 PM
