PacBio announced their new SPRQ long read sequencing chemistry ahead of ASHG. While it improves a couple of things, the headline is that it brings down the cost of a long read HiFi human genome to $500 (20X coverage). It manages this by squeezing out more output from each SMRT cell. That, plus some improved data analysis algorithms, cuts the sample price in half. In addition, it reduces the input amount of DNA down to 500ng (still considerably more than Illumina), improves the accuracy of 5mC methylation calls, and adds the capability of making 6mA calls.
While the short read platforms have remained mostly flat (in aggregate) in 2024, the long read platforms have been continuing their slow, but steady increases in market share. Will the improvements from the SPRQ chemistry be enough to accelerate the shift to long read sequencing? While PacBio genomes have improved to $500, Illumina is still considerably cheaper at $200 per genome. (And while Ultima is at $100 per genome, it’s unclear how much headway they’re making with their “high throughput only” market strategy.) Is a 2.5x price premium small enough for the extra info researchers get from PacBio HiFi reads, or will inertia continue to (mostly) win the day?
The other consideration is that PacBio’s Revio will still top out at only 2500 genomes per year. While that’s nothing to sneeze at, it’s roughly 1/10th the number of samples that Illumina’s flagship NovaSeq X Plus can chew through. Larger projects may have to wait until PacBio launches their high throughput system. However, given the relatively modest pull through rates of the current Revios, PacBio has indicated that they’ll be prioritizing their low throughput desktop platform. Hopefully we’ll hear more about that at ASHG.
