PacBio Announces Plans to Improve Methylation Detection in HiFi Chemistry
PacBio (PACB) has announced plans to enhance its methylation detection capabilities in HiFi chemistry through licensing advanced DNA methylation detection methods from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The licensed technology includes the Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2), an AI deep learning framework that will improve the detection of DNA base modifications including 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and hemimethylated 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in native DNA.
The enhanced capabilities will be implemented on PacBio's Revio and Vega systems through software updates, requiring no changes to sequencing protocols or additional costs. The technology enables simultaneous genome and epigenome readout from native DNA without chemical conversion or additional sample preparation. The HK2 model is designed to significantly improve accuracy in 5mC and N6-methyladenine (6mA) detection while introducing native 5hmC calling in single molecules.
PacBio (PACB) ha annunciato l'intenzione di migliorare le sue capacità di rilevamento della metilazione nella chimica HiFi tramite la licenza di avanzati metodi di rilevamento della metilazione del DNA dalla Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). La tecnologia concessa in licenza include il Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2), un framework di deep learning basato sull'IA che migliorerà il rilevamento delle modifiche delle basi del DNA, comprese 5-idrossimetilcitosina (5hmC) e 5-metilcitosina emimetilata (5mC) nel DNA nativo.
Le capacità migliorate saranno implementate sui sistemi Revio e Vega di PacBio tramite aggiornamenti software, senza necessità di modifiche ai protocolli di sequenziamento o costi aggiuntivi. La tecnologia consente la lettura simultanea del genoma e dell'epigenoma dal DNA nativo senza conversione chimica o preparazione supplementare del campione. Il modello HK2 è progettato per migliorare significativamente la precisione nel rilevamento di 5mC e N6-metiladenina (6mA), introducendo inoltre la chiamata nativa di 5hmC nelle singole molecole.
PacBio (PACB) ha anunciado planes para mejorar sus capacidades de detección de metilación en la química HiFi mediante la concesión de licencias de métodos avanzados de detección de metilación del ADN de la Universidad China de Hong Kong (CUHK). La tecnología licenciada incluye el Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2), un marco de aprendizaje profundo basado en IA que mejorará la detección de modificaciones en las bases del ADN, incluyendo 5-hidroximetilcitosina (5hmC) y 5-metilcitosina hemimetilada (5mC) en ADN nativo.
Las capacidades mejoradas se implementarán en los sistemas Revio y Vega de PacBio mediante actualizaciones de software, sin necesidad de cambios en los protocolos de secuenciación ni costos adicionales. La tecnología permite la lectura simultánea del genoma y epigenoma del ADN nativo sin conversión química ni preparación adicional de la muestra. El modelo HK2 está diseñado para mejorar significativamente la precisión en la detección de 5mC y N6-metiladenina (6mA), además de introducir la llamada nativa de 5hmC en moléculas individuales.
PacBio (PACB)는 홍콩중문대학교(CUHK)로부터 고급 DNA 메틸화 검출 기술을 라이선스 받아 HiFi 화학에서 메틸화 검출 능력을 향상시킬 계획을 발표했습니다. 라이선스 기술에는 Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2)가 포함되어 있으며, 이는 AI 딥러닝 프레임워크로서 5-하이드록시메틸시토신(5hmC) 및 반메틸화된 5-메틸시토신(5mC) 등 DNA 염기 변형 검출을 개선합니다.
향상된 기능은 PacBio의 Revio 및 Vega 시스템에 소프트웨어 업데이트를 통해 적용되며, 시퀀싱 프로토콜 변경이나 추가 비용이 필요하지 않습니다. 이 기술은 화학적 변환이나 추가 시료 준비 없이도 원시 DNA에서 유전체와 후생유전체를 동시에 읽을 수 있게 합니다. HK2 모델은 5mC 및 N6-메틸아데닌(6mA) 검출 정확도를 크게 향상시키도록 설계되었으며, 단일 분자 내에서 원시 5hmC 호출도 도입합니다.
PacBio (PACB) a annoncé son intention d'améliorer ses capacités de détection de la méthylation dans la chimie HiFi en obtenant une licence sur des méthodes avancées de détection de la méthylation de l'ADN de l'Université chinoise de Hong Kong (CUHK). La technologie sous licence comprend le Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2), un cadre d'apprentissage profond basé sur l'IA qui améliorera la détection des modifications des bases de l'ADN, y compris la 5-hydroxyméthylcytosine (5hmC) et la 5-méthylcytosine hémiméthylée (5mC) dans l'ADN natif.
Les capacités améliorées seront mises en œuvre sur les systèmes Revio et Vega de PacBio via des mises à jour logicielles, sans nécessiter de modifications des protocoles de séquençage ni de coûts supplémentaires. Cette technologie permet une lecture simultanée du génome et de l’épigénome à partir d’ADN natif sans conversion chimique ni préparation supplémentaire de l’échantillon. Le modèle HK2 est conçu pour améliorer significativement la précision de détection du 5mC et de la N6-méthyladénine (6mA), tout en introduisant la détection native du 5hmC au niveau des molécules individuelles.
PacBio (PACB) hat Pläne angekündigt, seine Fähigkeiten zur Methylierungserkennung in der HiFi-Chemie durch die Lizenzierung fortschrittlicher DNA-Methylierungserkennungsmethoden von der Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) zu verbessern. Die lizenzierte Technologie umfasst das Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2), ein KI-basiertes Deep-Learning-Framework, das die Erkennung von DNA-Basenmodifikationen, einschließlich 5-Hydroxymethylcytosin (5hmC) und hemimethyliertem 5-Methylcytosin (5mC) in nativem DNA verbessert.
Die erweiterten Fähigkeiten werden durch Software-Updates auf den Revio- und Vega-Systemen von PacBio implementiert, ohne dass Änderungen an den Sequenzierungsprotokollen oder zusätzliche Kosten erforderlich sind. Die Technologie ermöglicht die gleichzeitige Auslesung von Genom und Epigenom aus nativem DNA ohne chemische Umwandlung oder zusätzliche Probenvorbereitung. Das HK2-Modell ist darauf ausgelegt, die Genauigkeit bei der Erkennung von 5mC und N6-Methyladenin (6mA) deutlich zu verbessern und führt zudem die native Erkennung von 5hmC in Einzelmolekülen ein.
- Technology upgrade requires no additional costs for existing customers
- Expands capabilities without requiring new hardware or protocol changes
- Strengthens competitive position in epigenomics market
- Implementation timeline for software update not specified
- Dependent on third-party licensed technology for core functionality
Insights
PacBio gains advanced epigenetic detection capabilities through CUHK licensing, enhancing their sequencing platform's value without hardware changes.
PacBio's licensing of the Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2) deep learning framework from CUHK represents a significant technological advancement in epigenetic detection capabilities. The technology enables PacBio to detect 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), hemimethylated 5-methylcytosine (5mC), and N6-methyladenine (6mA) in native DNA during standard HiFi sequencing runs.
The detection of 5hmC is particularly valuable as it's a dynamic epigenetic mark implicated in brain development, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. This opens new research possibilities in liquid biopsy, cancer detection, and cell-free DNA analysis. Unlike chemical-based methods such as bisulfite or TAPS sequencing that degrade DNA and reduce phasing information, PacBio's approach maintains DNA integrity while providing comprehensive modification data.
A key technical advantage is that this capability requires no changes to sequencing protocols and will be delivered through software updates to existing Revio and Vega systems. This means researchers can gain additional epigenetic insights from the same runs they're already performing, maximizing the value of each experiment.
Early adoption by Children's Mercy Kansas City for clinical settings and GeneDx for neonatal care investigations demonstrates the practical utility of these capabilities in translational research. The ability to simultaneously profile genomic sequence and multiple epigenetic modifications on the same native molecules offers a unique advantage for researchers seeking comprehensive biological insights.
PacBio enhances product value through software-based capabilities, strengthening competitive position without requiring customer hardware investments.
This licensing agreement strategically enhances PacBio's competitive position by adding valuable capabilities to existing platforms through software improvements alone. The approach is highly capital-efficient, as it doesn't require hardware modifications or create additional costs for customers while delivering meaningful functional improvements.
By enabling more comprehensive epigenetic analysis on its Revio and Vega platforms, PacBio increases the value proposition for both existing and prospective customers. The technology allows researchers to extract more information from the same sequencing runs, effectively improving the return on investment for PacBio instrument owners.
The deal aligns with PacBio's strategy of continuously enhancing its HiFi chemistry to maintain technological leadership in long-read sequencing. By building on their existing 5mC detection (introduced in April 2022) and 6mA detection (December 2024), PacBio demonstrates commitment to ongoing platform improvement.
While financial terms weren't disclosed, the implementation model—delivering new capabilities through software updates to existing systems—points to efficient leverage of the installed base. This represents a value-adding enhancement that could help differentiate PacBio in the competitive sequencing market, potentially expanding their addressable market in epigenetics research without requiring significant additional R&D investment beyond the licensing agreement.
Company licenses novel deep learning-based epigenetic models from CUHK enabling the detection of 5hmC, 5mC hemimethylation, and 6mA in standard sequencing runs
MENLO PARK, Calif., April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PacBio (Nasdaq: PACB), a leading provider of high-quality, highly accurate sequencing platforms, today announced it plans to improve on its already highly accurate methylation detection capabilities in HiFi chemistry through licensing advanced DNA methylation detection methods developed by Professor Dennis Lo and colleagues at the The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Centre for Novostics. The licensed technology is designed to enhance PacBio HiFi sequencing with improved detection of DNA base modifications—including 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and hemimethylated 5-methylcytosine (5mC)—in native DNA. PacBio plans to bring these capabilities to its Revio and Vega systems, building on its existing 5mC support to deliver even more comprehensive epigenomic insights as part of standard HiFi whole-genome sequencing workflows.
“PacBio was the first to detect native epigenetic modifications alongside accurate DNA sequencing. With the integration of the CUHK deep learning models, our technology will be able to detect many additional and biologically meaningful methylation signatures, including 5hmC and strand-specific 5mC,” said Christian Henry, President and CEO of PacBio. "Our commitment to continually improving HiFi chemistry will enable our customers to gain even deeper insights into the human genome, powering new discoveries and clinical possibilities."
The newly licensed technology includes an enhanced AI deep learning framework known as Holistic Kinetic Model 2 (HK2), which integrates convolutional and transformer layers to model local and long-range kinetic features with extraordinary precision. HK2 is designed to significantly improve the accuracy of 5mC and N6-methyladenine (6mA) detection and introduces native 5hmC calling in single molecules—a first for HiFi sequencing.
HiFi sequencing, available on both the Revio and Vega platforms, provides a comprehensive and simultaneous readout of the genome and epigenome from native DNA without the need for chemical conversion, additional sample preparation, or parallel workflows. The new capabilities from the HK2 model will be delivered to existing customers through software updates, with no changes to sequencing protocols and no additional cost.
“I am delighted to see this technology now being deployed more broadly through PacBio’s global customer base,” said Professor Dennis Lo, Scientific Director of Centre for Novostics, CUHK. “Accurate detection of DNA methylation—particularly 5mC and 5hmC—on native molecules is important for advancing research in cancer, human development, and beyond. With the improvements enabled by HK2, methylation calling with PacBio HiFi sequencing is poised to set a new standard for accuracy in the industry, surpassing other available technologies.”
CUHK, together with Take2 Technologies Limited, a Hong Kong-based biotechnology company, pioneered robust 5mC detection in 2021 using the PacBio platform. PacBio introduced on-instrument 5mC detection in April 2022 and extended support to 6mA in December 2024 for Fiber-seq chromatin architecture studies. HK2 is designed to push detection performance to new levels of accuracy. Importantly, HK2 will also enable strand-specific 5mC analysis, which opens new opportunities to study hemimethylation—an emerging epigenetic signal.
HiFi 5-base sequencing has already been adopted by pioneering institutions such as Children’s Mercy Kansas City, the first to use comprehensive genomic and epigenomic profiling in a clinical setting. GeneDx is also leveraging this capability to investigate the diagnostic potential of epigenetic signals in neonatal care.
The ability to profile 5hmC—a dynamic and tissue-specific epigenetic mark implicated in brain development, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases—opens new frontiers in liquid biopsy, cancer detection, and cell-free DNA analysis. Unlike chemical-based methods such as bisulfite or TAPS sequencing, which degrade DNA and diminish phasing and structural context, PacBio’s native detection maintains DNA integrity and supports haplotype-resolved analysis in complex genomic regions.
The licensing of HK2 marks another milestone in PacBio’s continued leadership in long-read epigenomics. Combined with the high accuracy and long read lengths of HiFi sequencing, HK2 delivers a uniquely powerful tool for understanding the full landscape of genome function—across both sequence and modification.
"By enabling high-resolution, native detection of 5mC, 6mA, and 5hmC, we’re empowering researchers to ask more sophisticated questions and uncover new biology," said Mark Van Oene, Chief Operating Officer at PacBio. "And because this capability is powered entirely by software and existing sequencing signals, customers can access it with no added cost or workflow changes."
PacBio aims to deliver these capabilities to Revio and Vega through a future software update. For more information about HiFi chemistry, visit https://www.pacb.com/technology/hifi-sequencing/.
About Pacific Biosciences
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 stem from two highly differentiated core technologies focused on accuracy, quality and completeness which include our HiFi long-read sequencing and our SBB® short-read sequencing technologies. Our products 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.
About The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
Founded in 1963, CUHK is a leading comprehensive research university with a global reputation and world-leading rankings. Located in the heart of Asia, CUHK has a vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. The University is devoted in cutting edge research and translation of research outputs into useful products. CUHK is renowned for its leading role in molecular diagnostics research. The noninvasive prenatal diagnostic test for Down syndrome developed by Dennis Lo is widely adopted globally with more than 100 million tests performed since its inception. Centre for Novostics, an affiliate CUHK, is supported by the InnoHK initiative under the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government dedicated to molecular diagnostic research.
About Take2 Technology Limited (Take2)
Founded in 2019, Take2 is a Hong Kong-based biotechnology company. Take2 focuses on the development of novel molecular diagnostic approaches, in particular in the area of epigenetic analysis and cancer screening.
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, the benefits or expected benefits of using, PacBio products or technologies, including in connection with anticipated improvements to methylation detection with respect to 5hmC, 5mC, 6mA, and strand-specific 5mC, and related opportunities for customers to gain deeper insights, power new discoveries and enable clinical possibilities with no additional cost or change to sequencing protocols; setting new standards for accuracy, and other future events. 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. These risks include, but are not limited to, risks inherent in developing and commercializing new technologies; 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 and products under development; third-party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate PacBio's patents or proprietary rights; and other risks associated with general macroeconomic conditions and geopolitical instability. 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, including PacBio’s preliminary unaudited financial information and PacBio’s financial guidance, 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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FAQ
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