MENLO PARK, Calif., April 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (Nasdaq:PACB) today announced the launch of the PacBio® RS II — a new Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) DNA Sequencing System that provides the industry’s highest consensus accuracy and longest read lengths, with double the throughput from the previous version of the system.
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A photo accompanying this release is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=18068
The PacBio RS II allows scientists to rapidly and cost effectively generate finished genome assemblies, reveal and understand epigenomes, and characterize genomic variation. Based on the company’s revolutionary SMRT Sequencing technology, the RS II can generate average read lengths of 5,000 base pairs, with the longest reads above 20,000 base pairs in length. The PacBio RS II System, including consumables and software, provides a simple, fast, end-to-end workflow for SMRT Sequencing in research areas including infectious disease and microbiology, agriculture, and complex genetic diseases with repeat expansions.
With the PacBio RS II, the number of simultaneously observable sequencing reactions is doubled, which effectively doubles the throughput of the system. This increase in the number of reads will drive new applications such as full-length cDNA analysis and full-length 16S metagenomics. The PacBio RS II features PacBio’s C2 and XL chemistries, new analysis software with automated de novo assembly, and other improvements released in the past two years, including: increased consensus accuracy to greater than 99.999% (Q50), a quadrupling of average
read lengths, and a 10-fold reduction in input DNA required.
“In addition to providing more, high-quality data in a highly robust system, the PacBio RS II includes all of the performance improvements we have made since we launched the commercial PacBio RS System in 2011,” said Kevin Corcoran, Senior Vice President of Market Development. “The combined improvements in accuracy, reliability, and throughput, as well as increased cost efficiencies, are what many researchers have been waiting for in order to adopt SMRT Sequencing in their laboratories.”
Richard Gibbs, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine and Director of the Human Genome Sequencing Center, was among the early access users of the PacBio RS. “I have been very impressed with the progress Pacific Biosciences has made with this unique technology. With each performance upgrade, our ability to handle more complex projects increases. We are now using the system to improve the sequence of mammalian genomes.”
Customers with existing PacBio RS Systems can purchase an upgrade, which will convert the PacBio RS to the new PacBio RS II. Installations of the new PacBio RS II System are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2013. For more information please visit www.pacb.com/rsII.
About Pacific Biosciences
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (Nasdaq:PACB) offers the PacBio® RS II Sequencing System to help scientists solve genetically complex problems. Based on its novel Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) Sequencing 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.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
CONTACT: Media:
Maurissa Messier
For Pacific Biosciences
760.539.7417
maurissa@bioscribe.com
Investors:
Trevin Rard
Pacific Biosciences
650.521.8450
ir@pacificbiosciences.com
Source: Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc.
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