Bionano Symposium 2026 Concluded with 9 Speakers Describing the Breadth of Bionano Solutions and Their Potential for Use on a Large Scale

Rhea-AI Summary

Bionano Genomics (Nasdaq: BNGO) summarized Day 4 highlights from Symposium 2026 on Feb 27, 2026, with >1,250 registrants, 35 external speakers, 33 presentations and 50 posters.

Speakers described scaling optical genome mapping (OGM) with automation, VIA software, Ionic nucleic acid isolation, and Stratys throughput claims, citing sample-volume targets, cost comparisons with long-read sequencing, and new digital karyotyping tools.

Key Figures

Symposium registrants: 1,250+ Outside speakers: 35 Presentations: 33 +5 more

8 metrics

Symposium registrants 1,250+ Symposium 2026 total registrants over four days

Outside speakers 35 Symposium 2026 external speakers

Presentations 33 Total presentations at Symposium 2026

Posters 50 Posters in Symposium 2026 poster hall

Samples processed 2025 500 samples OGM samples processed at Radboud in 2025

Future annual throughput goal 3,000 samples/year Target OGM scale at Radboud

Stratys cancer throughput 4,000 samples/year Maximum cancer samples per year on Stratys system

Long-read sequencing throughput 240 samples/year High-throughput long-read system at appropriate coverage

Market Reality Check

Price: $1.15 Vol: Volume 126,412 is below t...

low vol

$1.15 Last Close

Volume Volume 126,412 is below the 20-day average of 232,540 (relative volume 0.54), suggesting limited pre-news positioning. low

Technical Shares at $1.15 are trading below the $2.44 200-day moving average and sit closer to the 52-week low of $1.06 than the high of $5.50.

Peers on Argus

BNGO showed a 0% move while peers were mixed: HBIO (-0.46%), NXGL (+4.35%), RVP ...

BNGO showed a 0% move while peers were mixed: HBIO (-0.46%), NXGL (+4.35%), RVP (+1.21%), FEMY (-5.37%), MHUA (-27.18%). This points to stock-specific rather than clear sector-driven dynamics.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 26 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 26	Symposium Day 3 recap	Positive	+0.0%	Showcased OGM in constitutional disorders with >1,200 participants and 50 posters.
Feb 25	Symposium Day 2 recap	Positive	+2.7%	Highlighted OGM in oncology and cell therapy with strong global attendance.
Feb 24	Symposium Day 1 recap	Positive	-0.9%	Reported OGM advances in hematologic malignancies and integration with NGS.
Feb 09	Symposium announcement	Positive	+0.0%	Announced four-day virtual OGM-focused Symposium 2026 with >30 researchers.
Feb 04	OGM gene-editing study	Positive	-1.3%	Peer-reviewed data showed OGM detecting low-frequency genomic alterations from gene editing.

Pattern Detected

Recent Bionano news has been consistently positive around OGM and symposium activity, with mixed price reactions that alternate between modest gains, small declines, and flat trading.

Recent Company History

Over the past month, Bionano’s news flow has centered on Symposium 2026 and expanding applications of optical genome mapping (OGM) across hematologic malignancies, oncology, constitutional disorders, and bioprocessing. Earlier, a peer-reviewed study highlighted OGM’s sensitivity to variant allele fractions as low as 5% in gene-edited iPSC lines. Price reactions to these generally positive updates have been modest or flat, suggesting that the Symposium series and OGM validation have not yet shifted the pre-existing downtrend reflected by trading below the 200-day moving average.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement underscores growing enthusiasm for Bionano’s OGM platform, with over 1,250 Symposi...

Analysis

This announcement underscores growing enthusiasm for Bionano’s OGM platform, with over 1,250 Symposium registrants, 35 outside speakers, and throughput discussions reaching up to 3,000–4,000 samples per year. The news extends a series of OGM-focused updates in February 2026. Investors monitoring this story may focus on evidence of large-scale lab adoption, realized sample volumes relative to stated goals, and how the technology competes operationally with long-read sequencing and traditional cytogenetics.

Key Terms

optical genome mapping, next generation sequencing, structural variant, cytogenetics, +1 more

5 terms

optical genome mapping medical

"describing how they envision scaling optical genome mapping (OGM), including processing"

Optical genome mapping is a laboratory technique that produces a high-resolution picture of a person’s long DNA strands to find large structural changes such as missing, extra, or rearranged pieces. For investors, it matters because the method can improve diagnosis, speed development of genetic tests and therapies, and influence regulatory approvals and market demand for companies offering more accurate or faster genomic tools — think of it as a wide-angle camera that reveals large-scale defects traditional microscopes might miss.

next generation sequencing medical

"system for isolating DNA and RNA for next generation sequencing (NGS) and advanced"

A collection of advanced laboratory methods that read and map large amounts of DNA or RNA quickly and at lower cost than older techniques; think of it as scanning thousands of pages of a book at once instead of reading one page at a time. Investors care because it accelerates drug development, enables precise diagnostics and personalized treatments, and can create recurring revenue from tests, instruments, and data services as adoption expands.

structural variant medical

"deliver unbiased, comprehensive, genome-wide structural variant (SV) analysis, which"

A structural variant is a change in the physical layout of a stretch of DNA—such as a piece being deleted, duplicated, flipped, or moved to a new location—affecting segments large enough to alter how genes work. For investors, these changes can create or reveal disease causes, affect how well a therapy or diagnostic works, and influence regulatory and commercial prospects; think of it like major edits to a building’s blueprint that change its function and value.

cytogenetics medical

"future of digital cytogenetics and molecular pathology by enabling digital"

Cytogenetics is the study of chromosomes—the structures inside cells that hold genes—and how their number or shape can change. For investors in healthcare and biotech, cytogenetics matters because those chromosomal changes can diagnose diseases, determine which patients will benefit from a therapy, and influence regulatory approval and market size; think of it as a blueprint check that reveals whether a treatment targets the right problem.

long-read sequencing medical

"He also compared the adoption of OGM with a long-read sequencing system, and shared"

Long-read sequencing is a laboratory method that reads much longer stretches of DNA at once than older approaches, giving a clearer, more continuous picture of a genome—like reading whole sentences instead of just chopped-up words. For investors, it matters because it can improve accuracy of genetic tests, speed up drug research, reduce costly follow-up testing, and create competitive advantages for companies that develop or use the technology in diagnostics and therapeutics.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bionano Genomics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNGO) today announced highlights from the fourth and final day of Symposium 2026. Day 4 featured updates from some of the most advanced and high-volume cytogenetics and molecular pathology laboratories in the United States, Canada and Europe describing how they envision scaling optical genome mapping (OGM), including processing up to thousands of samples per year with automation, multiple OGM systems, and VIA™ software. Other talks covered topics like Bionano’s Ionic® system for isolating DNA and RNA for next generation sequencing (NGS) and advanced analytical tools that could be the future of digital cytogenetics and molecular pathology by enabling digital karyotype construction.

Alka Chaubey, PhD, FACMG, Bionano’s chief medical officer, celebrated the extraordinary four-day event that brought together over 1,250 registrants and 35 outside speakers giving 33 presentations and 50 posters. Dr. Chaubey emphasized the power of OGM to deliver unbiased, comprehensive, genome-wide structural variant (SV) analysis, which provides the positional context needed to interpret complex rearrangements. She reflected on the remarkable community engagement that grows from Symposium, noting how Day 4’s exceptional speakers have showcased innovations that were once aspirational and are now advancing along a tangible path.

Among the key scientific highlights:

Dr. Alexander Hoischen (Radboud University Medical Center) framed 2026 as “the year to scale up OGM.” Dr. Hoischen described how at Radboud they have fully automated the isolation of the ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) DNA required for OGM and the labeling of the UHMW DNA prior to imaging on the Stratys™ system. They are routinely processing samples for hematologic malignancy research in indications such as acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms with certain gene fusions. He reported processing approximately 500 samples in 2025 with a goal of reaching 3000 samples per year in the future.

Dr. Chantal Courtemanche (CHU de Québec) described the protocol they developed for purification of DNA and RNA from FFPE samples using Bionano’s Ionic system, which relies on isotachophoresis (ITP) to isolate nucleic acids for NGS workflows. According to this presentation, DNA and RNA isolated by ITP on the Ionic system can result in higher performing NGS assays because the nucleic acids are of higher purity compared to traditional, particle or column-based systems. Ionic is also scalable and can process multiple samples per run and multiple runs per day.

Dr. Vineet Bafna (University of California San Diego), who is a leader in bioinformatics for SV analysis and a researcher over a decade of experience with OGM data presented on karyotyping with OGM using a computational tool created to generate digital karyotypes from complex rearranged chromosomes. His team calls this tool OMKar, and his work highlighted the importance of taking complex SV data from OGM and assembling it into a digital karyotype to better visualize the potential biological ramifications of chromosomal rearrangements with proper context. This work could be the basis of future software advancements in VIA or other software platforms.

Dr. Brandon Shaw (Henry Ford Health System) demonstrated analysis of OGM data using VIA hematologic malignancy workflows, highlighting how integrated visualization, interpretation tools, and an accessible guideline and knowledge base support consistent assessment of structural variants in hematologic malignancy and constitutional genetics research. Dr. Shaw’s team at Henry Ford is experienced with VIA software for non-OGM applications and since adopting OGM alongside other methods, he reported seeing VIA as a platform that can unify complex genomic data, enabling efficient review, clearer interpretation, and standardized research workflows as laboratories expand their use of OGM.

Drs. Eddy de Boer and Arjan Buijs (University Medical Centre Groningen), also shared their experience using VIA software for hematologic malignancy analysis, emphasizing how the software can enable efficient review, standardized workflows, and clearer interpretation of complex genomic rearrangements. Together, these sessions illustrated VIA’s value as a unified analytical platform for laboratories scaling their use of OGM, noting that VIA streamlines key steps in going from data generated in the OGM instrument to interpreted report as quickly as possible, while minimizing the amount of manual work.

Dr. Elizabeth McCready (Hamilton Health Sciences Center) compared copy number (CN) and SV detection using the Stratys™ instrument versus routine cytogenetic platforms. She demonstrated how high-throughput OGM can complement conventional cytogenetic workflows, providing consistent, genome-wide structural variant detection for research applications, at scale.

Dr. Adam Smith (Labcorp), building on the theme of scalability, addressed high-throughput structural genome analysis and the practical feasibility of scaling OGM in research laboratories. Dr. Smith discussed key considerations for implementing large-scale OGM workflows, including throughput, consistency, and operational efficiency as sample volumes increase. His presentation emphasized how robust instrumentation, automation, and streamlined processes are essential to support genome-wide structural variant characterization at scale, reinforcing the importance of scalable solutions for the future of cytogenomic research. He also compared the adoption of OGM with a long-read sequencing system, and shared how it could be possible to scale OGM to a workflow that processes 10,000 samples per year using the Stratys system which can process up to 4,000 cancer samples per year, while the current high-throughput long-read sequencing system would only be able to process 240 cancer samples per year at an appropriate depth of coverage. Additionally, he estimated that OGM adoption at scale requires less than 1/8 of the initial investment compared to that required to run just 1000 samples per year with the long-read sequencing system.

Both Drs. Hoischen and Smith invited attendees to join the International OGM Consortium (ICOGM; icogm.org) to further advance collaborative research efforts in OGM.

The session concluded with a live panel discussion and Q&A session with speakers and moderated by Bionano’s Dr. Chaubey, Dr. Andy O’Shaughnessy, Dr. Dana Jaber, and Cami Asher. Panelists discussed best practices for OGM implementation, strategies for resolving complex constitutional disorders, complementing OGM with sequencing techniques, and future research directions in a variety of applications across the cytogenomic and molecular pathology landscapes

Also during live Q&A, Dr. Chaubey announced the winners of the Symposium 2026 poster competition, which included the following daily winners and honorable mentions:

Winners:

• Solid Tumors: Ying Zou (Johns Hopkins University, USA) - Unlocking Sarcoma Complexity: Optical Genome Mapping Reveals Hidden Structural Variants in Soft Tissue Sarcomas
• Constitutional Applications: Nikhil Sahajpal (Greenwood Genetic Center, USA) - A Complex Structural Rearrangement Resulting in Recurrent SCN1A Deletion Identified by Optical Genome Mapping
• Cell & Gene Therapy: Diana Chaker (CITHERA Center for iPSC Cell Therapy, France) - Optical Genome Mapping In Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Based Models Of Malignant Hematopoïesis
• Hematologic Malignancies: Kornelia Neveling (Radboud UMC the Netherlands) - Automated ultra-high molecular weight DNA isolation and labeling enables high-throughput optical genome mapping
  
  

Honorable Mentions:

• Amber Verhasselt (KU Leuven, Belgium)
• Idoia Vázquez (Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Spain)
• Shivaprasad H. Sathyanarayana (Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, USA)
• Annick Lalonde (CHU de Quebec, Canada)
• Bruna Burssed (Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo and RadboudUMC, Brazil & the Netherlands)
• Emma-Naoual Benbakir (CHU Nantes, France)
• Avinash V. Dharmadhikari (Children's Hospital Los Angeles, USA)
• Haricharan Nerella (CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, India)
  
  

Reflecting on the strength of the community and engagement, Dr. Chaubey said, “Symposium 2026 is a living example of turning possibility into reality – a community united by the desire to be among the pioneers who are advancing, watching innovation unfold in real time, and using these tools to transform the way the world sees the genome.”

Erik Holmlin, president and chief executive officer of Bionano, added, “This final day reinforced the growing global adoption of OGM and the transformative role it can have in cytogenomics and molecular pathology research. It also highlighted fundamental practicalities of OGM, especially in cancer – it costs less than long-read sequencing to implement and operate, and it is substantially more scalable than long-read sequencing and traditional cytogenetics, while outperforming both. Symposium is truly the premier event for the OGM community and to everyone using Bionano solutions including VIA and Ionic. We are grateful to you for your tireless dedication and for sharing your amazing work. I also want to thank Dr. Alka Chaubey for creating Symposium and designing this year’s program and for our fellow transformers who made Symposium 2026 happen, especially Dr. Andy O’Shaughnessy, Dr. Dana Jaber, and Cami Asher.”

Session recordings will be available on-demand via the Bionano YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bionanogenomics) beginning Monday, March 2, 2026 at noon pacific standard time. The live panel discussion and Q&A session will not be available on-demand. The poster hall will remain open for viewing for up to 12 months (https://bionanosymposium2026.vfairs.com/en/poster-hall). Winners and honorable mentions are noted.

About Bionano Genomics

Bionano is a provider of genome analysis solutions that can enable researchers and clinicians to reveal answers to challenging questions in biology and medicine. The Company’s mission is to transform the way the world sees the genome through optical genome mapping (OGM) solutions, diagnostic services and software. The Company offers OGM solutions for applications across basic, translational and clinical research. The Company also offers an industry-leading, platform-agnostic genome analysis software solution, and nucleic acid extraction and purification solutions using proprietary isotachophoresis (ITP) technology. Through its Lineagen, Inc. d/b/a Bionano Laboratories business, the Company also offers OGM-based diagnostic testing services.

For more information, visit www.bionano.com or www.bionanolaboratories.com.

Bionano’s products are for research use only and not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Forward-Looking Statements of Bionano Genomics

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations or financial condition, business strategy and plans, and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Words such as “ability,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “capacity,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: the ability and utility of Bionano’s analytical tools to be the future of digital cytogenetics and molecular pathology by enabling digital karyotype construction; the ability and utility of OGM to deliver unbiased, comprehensive, genome-wide structural variant (SV) analysis and provide the positional context needed to interpret complex rearrangements; the ability and utility of the Ionic system to isolate DNA and RNA that results in higher performing NGS assays and process multiple samples per run and multiple runs per day; the ability and utility of VIA software to unify complex genomic data, enabling efficient review, clearer interpretation of complex genomic workflows, and standardized research workflows; the ability and utility of OGM to complement conventional cytogenetic workflows, providing consistent, genome-wide structural variant detection for research applications, at scale; the ability and utility of an OGM workflow to process 10,000 per year; the ability and utility of the Stratys system to process up to 4,000 cancer samples per year; the ability of OGM systems to offer scalability, lower costs and higher throughput compared to long-read sequencing systems; the ability and utility of OGM to have a transformative role in cytogenomics and molecular pathology research; continued research, presentations and publications involving OGM, its utility compared to traditional cytogenetics and our technologies; and our ability to drive adoption of OGM and our technology solutions and any other statements that are not of historical fact. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, investors and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as they involve inherent risk and uncertainty (both general and specific) and should note that they are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied on as an indication or guarantee of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the risks and uncertainties associated with: the failure of Bionano’s analytical tools to be the future of digital cytogenetics and molecular pathology by enabling digital karyotype construction; the failure of OGM to deliver unbiased, comprehensive, genome-wide structural variant (SV) analysis and provide the positional context needed to interpret complex rearrangements; the failure of the Ionic system to isolate DNA and RNA that results in higher performing NGS assays and process multiple samples per run and multiple runs per day; the failure of VIA software to unify complex genomic data, enabling efficient review, clearer interpretation of complex genomic rearrangements, and standardized research workflows; the failure of OGM to complement conventional cytogenetic workflows, providing consistent, genome-wide structural variant detection for research applications, at scale; the failure of an OGM workflow to process 10,000 per year; the failure of the Stratys system to process up to 4,000 cancer samples per year; the inability of OGM systems to offer scalability, cost savings, and higher throughput compared to long-read sequencing systems; the failure of OGM to have a transformative role in cytogenomics and molecular pathology research; our ability to obtain sufficient financing to fund our strategic plans and commercialization efforts and our ability to continue as a “going concern,” which requires us to manage costs and obtain significant additional financing to fund our strategic plans and commercialization efforts; the risk that if we fail to obtain additional financing we may seek relief under applicable insolvency laws; the impact of adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic events and uncertain market conditions, including inflation, tariffs, and supply chain disruptions, on our business and the global economy; general market conditions; changes in the competitive landscape and the introduction of competitive technologies or improvements to existing technologies; changes in our strategic and commercial plans; the ability of medical and research institutions to obtain funding to support adoption or continued use of our technologies; study results that differ or contradict the results mentioned in this press release and at Day 4 of Symposium 2026; and the risks and uncertainties associated with our business and financial condition in general, including the risks and uncertainties including those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in other filings subsequently made by us with the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

CONTACTS
Company Contact:
Erik Holmlin, CEO
Bionano Genomics, Inc.
+1 (858) 888-7610
eholmlin@bionano.com

Investor Relations:
Kelly Gura
Gilmartin Group
+1 (212) 229-6163
IR@bionano.com

FAQ

How many people attended Bionano Symposium 2026 and what were the main outputs (BNGO)?

More than 1,250 registrants attended Symposium 2026 with 35 outside speakers and 33 presentations. According to the company, the event produced 50 posters and detailed talks on scaling OGM, VIA software, Ionic workflows, and Stratys system throughput claims.

What sample throughput did speakers claim for Stratys and planned OGM scaling at the Bionano Symposium (BNGO) on Feb 27, 2026?

Speakers reported Stratys can process up to 4,000 cancer samples per year and some labs aim for thousands annually. According to the company, presenters described workflows targeting 3,000–10,000 samples per year with automation and multi‑instrument setups.

What did presenters say about Ionic nucleic acid isolation and NGS performance at the Bionano Symposium (BNGO)?

Presenters reported Ionic's isotachophoresis can isolate higher‑purity DNA and RNA that improve NGS assay performance. According to the company, Ionic is scalable, can run multiple samples per run and multiple runs per day for FFPE-derived nucleic acids.

How did speakers compare OGM to long‑read sequencing at Symposium 2026 (BNGO)?

Speakers argued OGM is substantially more scalable and lower cost than long‑read sequencing for structural variant work. According to the company, a long‑read system might process ~240 cancer samples/year versus Stratys' claimed 4,000, with OGM needing under 1/8th the initial investment for comparable throughput.

What software and analytical advances were highlighted for clinical OGM workflows at the Bionano Symposium (BNGO)?

Speakers highlighted VIA and tools like OMKar for digital karyotyping to visualize complex rearrangements rapidly. According to the company, VIA workflows and OMKar aspire to standardize review, interpretation, and reporting as labs scale OGM implementation.