2026 SMRT Grant

PureTarget

Could one targeted HiFi sequencing workflow help you get more answers from your most challenging genomic regions?

Apply now for a chance to win a PureTarget sequencing project for 24–96 samples and advance your research.

Tell us in 100 words or less how you would use PureTarget to investigate a challenging genomic region, consolidate testing that currently relies on multiple assays, or address targets that are difficult to resolve with conventional NGS approaches.


PureTarget combines PCR-free targeted enrichment with highly accurate long-read HiFi sequencing, enabling researchers to investigate challenging genomic regions while preserving native DNA information. From repeat expansion disorders and challenging carrier screening genes to custom targets, PureTarget provides a focused approach for generating comprehensive sequence information from regions that can be difficult to resolve with conventional methods.


Winning projects can use the PureTarget repeat expansion panel, carrier screening panel, or propose a custom PureTarget project*. PacBio will support a complete 24–96 sample project, including DNA extraction as needed, PureTarget library preparation, and sequencing on the Vega system with SPRQ-Nx chemistry.


Whether you have a difficult locus that currently requires multiple assays or a new target that could benefit from highly accurate long reads, we want to hear about your research project.



How to apply

We encourage scientists at any career level to apply! Simply complete the short form on this page and include your 100-word proposal describing how you would use PureTarget to advance your research. Projects should include 24–96 samples using whole blood or saliva collected with an Oragene collection device.


You can review the official rules or reach out to us if you have any questions about the PureTarget SMRT Grant.


Applications are open from October 19 through December 4, 2026.



Looking for inspiration for your project?

Explore our PureTarget resources:




*Custom PureTarget projects are subject to technical feasibility review.

The 2023 AAV STAR grant is open

Apply to win free sequencing and a travel stipend to enhance and promote your AAV-based gene therapy research

Tell us in 100 words or less how PacBio HiFi sequencing in your project will contribute to understanding and developing AAV-based gene therapies for a chance to be one of five winners of sequencing on one SMRT cell 8M and a travel stipend to present your work at a PacBio event.

PacBio offers a complete end-to-end workflow to characterize AAV preparations, with the ability to sequence full-length genomes with high accuracy.


Details on how to apply

We encourage junior academic scientists to apply! Simply complete the short form on this page and include your 100-word proposal. You can read the official rules, or reach out if you have questions about this STAR Grant. The submission window closes Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at 5:00 PM PDT.  

Application form

By registering on this web page, you are consenting and agreeing to collection and use of your information by PacBio in accordance with its privacy policy 

In-person workshop

PacBio sequencing: See what you’ve been missing

Sunday, June 12, 2023 14:15–15:45 Room M 1+2, level 1

Speakers

PacBio sequencing and its applications

Neil Ward, GM and Vice President EMEA, PacBio

PacBio sequencing and its applications

Neil Ward, GM and Vice President EMEA, PacBio

PacBio sequencing and its applications

Neil Ward, GM and Vice President EMEA, PacBio

PacBio sequencing and its applications

Neil Ward, GM and Vice President EMEA, PacBio

PacBio sequencing and its applications

Neil Ward, GM and Vice President EMEA, PacBio

PacBio sequencing and its applications

Neil Ward, GM and Vice President EMEA, PacBio

PacBio sequencing and its applications

Neil Ward, GM and Vice President EMEA, PacBio

Plenary talks

Scalable PacBio HiFi library prep for high-quality genome assemblies

Authors: Jacob Brandenburg, Aaron Wenger, Christine Lambert, Heather Ferrao

Jacob Brandenburg, Senior Specialist, Segment Marketing, PacBio

Long-read whole genome sequencing (WGS) for plants and animals has allowed scientists to tackle the assembly of genomes ranging in size, ploidy, and repeat content. HiFi WGS enables complete, accurate, and contiguous assemblies of even the most complex genomes. As a result, HiFi WGS has been adopted by many biodiversity genomics consortia and agriculture researchers to assemble thousands of genomes.

While HiFi WGS simplifies the bioinformatics of genome assembly, library preparation remains a common challenge, especially for scientists sequencing organisms which yield low quantities of DNA or have very large genomes that require multiple libraries for a single de novo assembly.

We describe a new workgow using the PacBio SMRTbell prep kit 3.0 that is amenable to automation while significantly reducing the time (by 50%), cost, and DNA quantity (by 40%) necessary to prepare a sequencing library. We applied the workflow to rice and fly samples and demonstrate that the assembly quality matches that of the previous, more time-consuming library prep workgows. This new workflow offers a more efficient solution for all WGS applications, regardless of organism size or complexity.

bioinformatics tools for HiFi plant pangenomes

Authors: Greg Concepcion, Michelle Vierra

Greg Concepcion, Staff Engineer, Bioinformatics, PacBio

With the increasing prevalence of high-quality assembled genomes, access to the pangenomes of species is now an achievable possibility for researchers with all research budgets. However, the tools to visualize, analyze, and extract actionable information from these pangenome datasets are still in their infancy. Using a large plant pangenome dataset, we evaluated the pangenome graph builder pipeline for building a pangenome graph of the species and use these evaluations to provide basic recommendations for how to best manipulate and visualize these pangenomic datasets with other downstream tools including the vg toolkit.

bioinformatics tools for HiFi plant pangenomes

Authors: Greg Concepcion, Michelle Vierra

Greg Concepcion, Staff Engineer, Bioinformatics, PacBio

With the increasing prevalence of high-quality assembled genomes, access to the pangenomes of species is now an achievable possibility for researchers with all research budgets. However, the tools to visualize, analyze, and extract actionable information from these pangenome datasets are still in their infancy. Using a large plant pangenome dataset, we evaluated the pangenome graph builder pipeline for building a pangenome graph of the species and use these evaluations to provide basic recommendations for how to best manipulate and visualize these pangenomic datasets with other downstream tools including the vg toolkit.

bioinformatics tools for HiFi plant pangenomes

Authors: Greg Concepcion, Michelle Vierra

Greg Concepcion, Staff Engineer, Bioinformatics, PacBio

With the increasing prevalence of high-quality assembled genomes, access to the pangenomes of species is now an achievable possibility for researchers with all research budgets. However, the tools to visualize, analyze, and extract actionable information from these pangenome datasets are still in their infancy. Using a large plant pangenome dataset, we evaluated the pangenome graph builder pipeline for building a pangenome graph of the species and use these evaluations to provide basic recommendations for how to best manipulate and visualize these pangenomic datasets with other downstream tools including the vg toolkit.

Presentations

Monday, June 12, 2022 14:15–15:45 PST

Awesome and potentially long title of talk goes here

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Elizabeth Tseng, PhD

Title, credentials, PacBio

Elizabeth Tseng, PhD

Title, credentials, PacBio

Elizabeth Tseng, PhD

Title, credentials, PacBio

Elizabeth Tseng, PhD

Title, credentials, PacBio

Presentations + posters

  • Poster presentations

    # Title First Author Date/Time
    2314 Increased Diagnostic Yield With Long Read Sequencing In Patients With Undiagnosed Neurodevelopmental Disorder S. Jamuar October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2322 Long-read HiFi genome sequencing reveals a 2.7 kilobase intronic insertion in NR5A1as a cause of 46,XY disorder of sexual development G. Del Gobbo October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2354 Ultra-low DNA input with long-read sequencing identified complex chromosomal rearrangements involving NIPBL in a Cornelia de Lange syndrome patient N. Jiang October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2723 Accurate CYP2D6 star (*) allele diplotyping for long-read PacBio HiFi sequencing J. Harting October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    3096 PacBio HiFi sequencing provides highly accurate CpG methylation calls without bisulfite treatment C. Saunders October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    3133 Sequencing By Binding (SBB) enables a lower limit of detection for Tuberculosis resistance genes gyrA and katG C. Wike October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2269 Clinical long-read genome sequencing: Analytical performance of germline small variant detection using HiFi genome sequencing N. Hammond October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2954 De novo variant detection with HiFi reads J. Lake October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    3012 High throughput workflow for human whole genome sequencing using PacBio HiFi J. Rocha October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    3132 Sequencing By Binding (SBB) demonstrates superior performance in low-pass whole-human-sequencing applications KY. Chen October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2938 Closing the gap: Solving complex medically relevant regions of the human genome F. Sedlazeck October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT

  • In-booth presentations

    # Title First Author Date/Time
    2314 Increased Diagnostic Yield With Long Read Sequencing In Patients With Undiagnosed Neurodevelopmental Disorder S. Jamuar October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2322 Long-read HiFi genome sequencing reveals a 2.7 kilobase intronic insertion in NR5A1as a cause of 46,XY disorder of sexual development G. Del Gobbo October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2354 Ultra-low DNA input with long-read sequencing identified complex chromosomal rearrangements involving NIPBL in a Cornelia de Lange syndrome patient N. Jiang October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2723 Accurate CYP2D6 star (*) allele diplotyping for long-read PacBio HiFi sequencing J. Harting October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    3096 PacBio HiFi sequencing provides highly accurate CpG methylation calls without bisulfite treatment C. Saunders October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    3133 Sequencing By Binding (SBB) enables a lower limit of detection for Tuberculosis resistance genes gyrA and katG C. Wike October 26, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2269 Clinical long-read genome sequencing: Analytical performance of germline small variant detection using HiFi genome sequencing N. Hammond October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2954 De novo variant detection with HiFi reads J. Lake October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    3012 High throughput workflow for human whole genome sequencing using PacBio HiFi J. Rocha October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    3132 Sequencing By Binding (SBB) demonstrates superior performance in low-pass whole-human-sequencing applications KY. Chen October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT
    2938 Closing the gap: Solving complex medically relevant regions of the human genome F. Sedlazeck October 27, 3:00 - 4:45 pm PDT

Visit us at booth X5-364

Stop by our booth to chat with PacBio staff and have your questions answered. We are excited to learn about your sequencing goals and learn more about your research.

Thank you to our co-sponsor Clareo Biosciences for supporting the 2025 PacBio Immunology and Immunotherapy Grant.

Clareo Biosciences enables precision therapeutic development based on immune receptor diversity for labs and clinics worldwide. At Clareo, we believe better, more holistic data is the missing link to effectively use immune profiling to understand disease and to characterize individual responses to vaccines and treatments. And we believe better data means data that is both complete and precise.



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