MENLO PARK, Calif. and
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J.,
June 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/
-- Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ: PACB), the leading
provider of high-quality sequencing systems for genomes,
transcriptomes and epigenomes, and GENEWIZ, a leading global
genomics service provider, today announced that Professor Dr.
Arne Nolte of the Institute for
Biology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Oldenburg,
Germany and Assistant Professor
Dr. Fritz Sedlazeck from the Human
Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston, have
been awarded the 2018 Plant and Animal SMRT® Grant. The grant will
provide Nolte and Sedlazeck access to the PacBio® Sequel® System at
GENEWIZ, as well as the materials needed and bioinformatics support
to conduct comparative genomics on the newly discovered European
cavefish.
The fish, Cave barbatula, was discovered in 2015 by diver
Joachim Kreiselmaier as he explored
the deepest parts of the Danube-Aach cave system in Southern Germany. After discussing this
"strange fish" with friend and ecologist Assistant Professor Dr.
Jasminca Behrmann-Godel of the Limnological Institute of the
University of Konstanz, Kreiselmaier brought back a live sample for
analysis.
Cavefish are found in hostile subterranean environments that
lack light and nutrition and have evolved to live in a world of
darkness. The fish Kreiselmaier found showed typical adaptions to
cave life such as a pale body coloration, much smaller eyes, and
larger nares and barbels when compared to loaches from surface
locations nearby. It represents the first cavefish discovery in
Europe, as well as the
northernmost in the world.
Nolte and Sedlazeck have joined efforts with Behrmann-Godel to
further understand the evolution of the European cavefish from its
ancestors in surface waters and among other cave species, and a
high-quality genome assembly will allow them to investigate the
genetic make-up of organisms, including all features that are
essential to understand gene function. This allows for the
comparison among species to infer evolutionary changes at the level
of the genome. Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing on the
Sequel System provides long read lengths with uniform coverage,
which leads to high accuracy and contiguity, both essential to
generate complete and accurate views of a genome.
According to Dr. Fritz Sedlazeck, Assistant Professor at
Baylor College of
Medicine:
"This grant enables us to establish the
genome assembly of the European cavefish and identify genetic
variants from its surface-water ancestors. We are fascinated by
changes in the sensory system and pale pigmentation of the fish and
we will compare its genomic makeup with the Mexican cavefish which
is an important model organism in developmental biology. The
outcome of this study will enable us to understand the initial
steps that lead to the evolution of cave animals and impact our
understanding of how multiple phenotypes evolve among
vertebrates."
According to Kevin Corcoran,
Senior Vice President of Market Development for Pacific
Biosciences:
"We are pleased once again to partner with our certified service
provider GENEWIZ to bring the winners of the 2018 Plant and Animal
SMRT Grant access to highly accurate, long-read sequencing that
will help further their understanding of the evolution of the
European cavefish."
According to Dr. Ginger Zhou,
Vice President, Global Next Generation Sequencing for
GENEWIZ:
"The combination of PacBio's powerful genomics platforms and
GENEWIZ's depth of experience in genomics and next generation
sequencing provides researchers like Drs. Nolte and Sedlazeck the
technology and support they require to further their discoveries
and understanding of the world around us."
For more information about whole genome sequencing on the Sequel
System, visit:
https://www.pacb.com/applications/whole-genome-sequencing/
For more information on whole genome sequencing with GENEWIZ,
including long-read sequencing on the Sequel System, visit:
https://www.genewiz.com/ngs
Photo credit: ©Jasminca Behrmann-Godel
ABOUT GENEWIZ
GENEWIZ is a global leader in genomics
services that enable research scientists within pharmaceutical,
biotechnology, agriculture, environmental and clean energy,
academic, and government institutions to advance their discoveries.
Customers rely on our unique and proprietary genomics technologies
and services, backed by our specialized experts in Sanger sequencing, gene synthesis, molecular
biology, next generation sequencing, bioinformatics, and GLP
regulatory-compliant services.
Headquartered in South Plainfield,
NJ, GENEWIZ is privately-held with a network of laboratories
in Boston, MA; Washington, D.C. Metro; Research Triangle Park, NC; San Diego, CA; San
Francisco, CA; and Seattle,
WA. International locations include Beijing, Suzhou, Tianjin, and Guangzhou, China; Takeley, United Kingdom; and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, visit
www.genewiz.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube, WeChat, and Weibo.
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 at www.pacb.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
All statements in this
press release that are not historical are forward-looking
statements, including, among other things, statements relating to
the suitability or utility of methods or products for particular
applications, future availability, uses, quality or performance of,
or benefits of using, products or technologies, and other future
events. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements because they involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties, changes in circumstances and other factors that are,
in some cases, beyond Pacific Biosciences' control and could cause
actual results to differ materially from the information expressed
or implied by forward-looking statements made in this press
release. Factors that could materially affect actual results can be
found in Pacific Biosciences' most recent filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Pacific
Biosciences' most recent reports on Forms 8-K, 10-K and 10-Q, and
include those listed under the caption "Risk Factors."
Pacific Biosciences undertakes no obligation to revise or update
information in this press release to reflect events or
circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes
available.
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