Overview

Our mission is to transform the way humankind acquires, processes and interprets data from living systems through the design, development and commercialization of innovative tools for biological research. We have developed a novel approach to studying the synthesis and regulation of DNA, RNA and protein. Combining recent advances in nanofabrication, biochemistry, molecular biology, surface chemistry and optics, we created a powerful technology platform called single molecule, real-time, or SMRT, technology. SMRT technology enables real-time analysis of biomolecules with single molecule resolution, which has the potential to transform scientific understandings by providing a window into biological processes that has not previously been open for study.

In the past fifteen years, there have been a number of important advances in the understanding of biological systems, including the initial characterization of the cellular blueprints, or genomes, of humans and a number of other organisms. These discoveries which were expected to herald a new age in science and medicine have yet to deliver on their promise, due in part to the limitations of currently available life science tools that rely on averages and aggregates. These techniques often mask potentially important sources of variation that are believed to underlie diseases such as cancer. We believe our technology addresses these limitations and may lead to important new advances in the understanding of biological systems.

Our initial focus is on the DNA sequencing market where we have developed and introduced the PacBio RS, a novel third generation sequencing platform. We believe that the PacBio RS, which uses our proprietary SMRT technology, maintains many of the key attributes of currently available sequencing technologies while solving many of the inherent limitations of previous technologies. Our system provides long readlengths, flexibility in experimental design, fast time to result and is easy to use. The PacBio RS consists of an instrument platform that uses our consumables including our proprietary SMRT Cell. The system is designed to be integrated into existing laboratory workflows and information systems, which should facilitate rapid adoption. Currently, our focus is on applications for clinical, basic and agricultural research, with potential uses in molecular diagnostics, drug discovery and development, food safety, forensics, biosecurity and bio-fuels.

Our SMRT technology has the potential to impact scientific study far beyond DNA sequencing. We, and our scientific collaborators, have published a number of peer-reviewed articles in journals including Science, Nature and Nature Methods highlighting the power and potential applications of the SMRT platform. These papers demonstrate the ability of our SMRT technology to answer additional biological questions not adequately addressed by currently available technologies. Those questions include chemical and structural modifications of DNA and the processing of RNA and proteins. Our research and development efforts are focused on expanding our DNA sequencing capabilities and commercializing products based on these research findings. We believe that our SMRT platform represents a new paradigm in biological science, which we refer to as SMRT Biology, that has the potential to significantly impact a number of areas critical to humankind, including the diagnosis and treatment of disease as well as efforts to improve the world’s food and energy supply.