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PacBio Announces Plans to Improve Methylation Detection in HiFi Chemistry
Company licenses novel deep learning-based epigenetic models from CUHK enabling the detection of 5hmC, 5mC hemimethylation, and 6mA in standard sequencing
About this update from Pacific Biosciences Of California, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Company licenses novel deep learning-based epigenetic models from CUHK enabling the detection of 5hmC, 5mC hemimethylation, and 6mA in standard sequencing runs\nMENLO 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 t...