After the announcement of investing in 10 PacBio Sequel Systems in earlier 2018,Annoroad plans to increase its collaboration with Pacific Biosciences.  The two parties plan to collaborate, based on PacBio’s SMRT^® Sequencing technology, in the areas of plant & animal genome studies, basic research in human biomedical sciences and translational medicine.

In 2017, Annoroad declared its intention to establish a genome database unique to Chinese population – Annoroad Typical Chinese Genomes (ATCG Database) in order to deeply explore the reliable unique mutations and reveal the pattern of genetic mutations within the Chinese population.   With the increasing application of SMRT Sequencing in human genomic studies, information about genetic mutation in ATCG Database will be further enriched.  The two parties are also interested in building a database for Annoroad’s germplasm resource with the goal of pushing applications of genomic technology in the field of agricultural breeding.

“Rapid advancement in sequencing technology has greatly propelled researches in life science and clinical medicine.  PacBio’s long read technology shows great advantage in de novo assembly and structural variation detection with tremendous outlook,” said Dr. Chongjian Chen, President of Annoroad

Dawei Li, CEO of Annoroad. said: “Last year, Annoroad has completed  projects in de novo assembly, full length transcriptome and human genome resequencing using the PacBio® platform. Based on the broad applications of SMRT sequencing, we are committed to keep working with PacBio to drive further applications in these areas.”

Dr. Michael Hunkapiller, Chairman and CEO of Pacific Biosciences added: “We are excited that Annoroad, one of the leading service providers in China, has decided to deepen its collaboration with us.  By adopting our Sequel platform, Annoroad shows confidence in integrating SMRT Sequencing into its wide array of service offerings in which long reads based on SMRT technology have become instrumental. We are confident that the Sequel® Systems will be an important contributor to many initiatives, such as the ATCG (Annoroad Typical Chinese Genomes) Database announced in 2017 and Annoroad’s ambition to become a bigger player on the world stage. We are particularly pleased that Annoroad chose this significant investment in our SMRT Sequencing technology even after careful evaluation of alternatives.”

About Pacific Biosciences

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ:PACB) offers sequencing systems to help scientists resolve genetically complex problems. Based on its novel Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) technology, Pacific Biosciences’ products enable: de novo genome assembly to finish genomes in order to more fully identify, annotate and decipher genomic structures; full-length transcript analysis to improve annotations in reference genomes, characterize alternatively spliced isoforms in important gene families, and find novel genes; targeted sequencing to more comprehensively characterize genetic variations; and real-time kinetic information for epigenome characterization. Pacific Biosciences’ technology provides high accuracy, ultra-long reads, uniform coverage, and the ability to simultaneously detect epigenetic changes. PacBio® sequencing systems, including consumables and software, provide a simple, fast, end-to-end workflow for SMRT Sequencing. More information is available.

About Annoroad

Annoroad is headquartered in Beijing and is a well-known enterprise in the genomic industry in China. The company is committed to providing cutting-edge genomic solutions in both clinical testing and life science research. Annoroad was given the distinction of “National High Innovative Technology Enterprise,” and chartered as the national clinical pilot site of NGS in China given its major position in the domestic market and next-gen sequencing technology.  Annoroad has developed a series of NGS diagnostic applications in the field of human reproduction, cancer, and rare diseases, forming an excellent product line and brand recognition. In the field of science and technology service, Annoroad provides state-of-the-art sequencing and bioinformatics solutions for research organizations. More information is available at http://en.annoroad.com/.