PacBio SPRQ-Nx Chemistry Now Shipping Worldwide, Enabling Sub-$300 HiFi Genomes for Large Scale Projects and AI-Enhanced Sequencing
New Revio multi-use SMRT Cells reduce sequencing costs by 30% compared to previous SPRQ chemistry while DeepConsensus improvements and expanded methylation calling increase accuracy, yield, and epigenetic insight
MENLO PARK, Calif., May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PacBio (NASDAQ: PACB), developer of the world’s most advanced sequencing technologies, today announced that SPRQ-Nx sequencing chemistry and new multi-use SMRT Cells for its Revio HiFi sequencing platform are now shipping worldwide. The commercial availability of SPRQ-Nx brings the per genome list price to $345, and the possibility of sub-$300 HiFi genomes to Revio customers sequencing at scale1, while expanded methylation detection and advances to DeepConsensus, an AI powered consensus algorithm developed in collaboration with Google, further improve accuracy, run performance, and the biological information generated from each read.
PacBio has continued expanding the use of AI across the HiFi sequencing workflow in ways that directly improve data quality, speed, and biological interpretation. The latest DeepConsensus updates include optimizations enabled by Google’s AlphaEvolve coding agent, delivering measurable gains in accuracy and processing speed. PacBio is also advancing deep learning models for epigenetic detection, including updated 5mC and 6mA models optimized for SPRQ-Nx chemistry and a new 5-hydroxymethyl-cytosine, or 5hmC, caller. These advances are designed to help researchers generate richer HiFi datasets from the same sequencing run, including methylation signals relevant to cancer, tissue sequencing, and large-scale genomic research.
When paired with SPRQ-Nx chemistry, these improvements translate directly to lower costs and higher performance in production environments. SPRQ-Nx allows the SMRT Cell consumable to be used multiple times, reducing sequencing costs to less than $300 per human genome at scale. In beta testing across 20 sites in Europe, Asia, and the United States, spanning over 1,400 runs, SPRQ-Nx delivered increased yield and a lower failure rate across a broad range of sample types, resulting in more usable data and greater consistency for high-throughput workflows relative to SPRQ chemistry.
“In our beta testing, we saw consistently strong run performance,” said Adam Ameur, Associate Professor and Senior Bioinformatician at Uppsala University. “The simple workflow, low failure rates, and substantially lower pricing with multi-use SMRT Cells make SPRQ-Nx a practical upgrade for large-scale sequencing projects.”
“HiFi sequencing already is well known for a high standard of genomic accuracy, and AI is helping us push that advantage further by improving data quality, speed, and usability while expanding what researchers can learn from each run,” said Christian Henry, President and CEO of PacBio. “With SPRQ-Nx, DeepConsensus, and expanded methylation calling working together, Revio customers can generate more information-rich HiFi long-read data at a much lower cost, creating a stronger foundation for population-scale studies, large disease cohorts, and AI-enabled genomic research.”
“The quality of genomic data is determined by the information richness of the sequencer and the refinement of the algorithms that process it,” said Andrew Carroll, Product Lead for Genomics at Google Research. “New advances in DeepConsensus unlock even more of the exceptional quality inherent in HiFi sequencing, empowering scientists and clinicians to find new insights and resolve complex cases of rare disease.”
PacBio is also extending AI across the broader genomics workflow, including downstream analysis and interpretation. As population-scale sequencing efforts, national biobanks, large disease cohorts, and AI model-building initiatives generate growing demand for richer genomic datasets, highly accurate HiFi long-read sequencing can play an important role in producing the data foundation needed for discovery. Initiatives such as the Trillion Genes Atlas project further highlight how HiFi sequencing and AI can support large-scale genomic research and future clinical discovery.
With SPRQ-Nx now shipping globally, PacBio is making HiFi sequencing more scalable for population-scale genomics, large cohort studies, and research programs that require high accuracy, reliability, and richer molecular information. These improvements are available on existing Revio systems through a software upgrade and new consumable kits. PacBio plans to bring SPRQ-Nx chemistry and other platform improvements to its Vega benchtop system later in 2026.
1 Based on 5,000 genomes per year with applicable discounts.
About PacBio
PacBio (NASDAQ: PACB) is a premier life science technology company that designs, develops, and manufactures advanced sequencing solutions to help scientists and clinical researchers resolve genetically complex problems. Our products and technologies, which include our HiFi long-read sequencing, address solutions across a broad set of research applications including human germline sequencing, plant and animal sciences, infectious disease and microbiology, oncology, and other emerging applications. For more information, please visit www.pacb.com and follow @PacBio.
PacBio products are provided for Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the uses, advantages, quality or performance of, or benefits or expected benefits of using, PacBio products or technologies, including in connection with the SPRQ-Nx sequencing chemistry and multi-use SMRT Cells; reduction in sequencing costs by as much as 30%; improved methylation calling and epigenetic insight; expanded use of AI across sequencing workflows and related improvements in data quality, speed, and usability; generating richer HiFi datasets from the same sequencing run; possible lower costs in production environments; plans to release SPRQ-Nx chemistry and other platform improvements to the Vega benchtop system later in 2026; and other forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they are subject to assumptions, risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from currently anticipated results, including, challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, launching, marketing and selling new products; rapidly changing technologies and extensive competition in genomic sequencing; unanticipated increases in costs or expenses; interruptions or delays in the supply of components or materials for, or manufacturing of, PacBio products; potential product performance and quality issues; the possible loss of key suppliers; and, third-party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate PacBio's patents or proprietary rights. Additional factors that could materially affect actual results can be found in PacBio's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including PacBio's most recent reports on Forms 8-K, 10-K, and 10-Q, and include those listed under the caption "Risk Factors." These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof; except as required by law, PacBio disclaims any obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes available.
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