PacBio Announces the HiFi Solves Sub-fertility Consortium in Asia Pacific

Collaboration Aims to Harness HiFi Sequencing to Improve Diagnosis and Treatment of Subfertility and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

SINGAPORE, Sept. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The HiFi Solves Sub-fertility Consortium, an innovative collaboration involving five leading centers across the Asia-Pacific region, announces work aimed at redefining the landscape of fertility research. Utilizing PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing, the consortium, led by KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) in Singapore, is pioneering the use of PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of subfertility and recurrent miscarriages (RPL).

The HiFi Solves Sub-fertility Consortium integrates DNAstack’s federated data platform, the world’s first solution to enable the creation and analysis of global federated networks of data in compliance with industry standards set by the Global Alliance for Genomics & Health. This platform allows for seamless global collaboration on complex datasets without the need to move the data, ensuring sensitive genomic information remains secure while supporting efficient analysis and compliance with regional data governance.

Under the leadership of Associate Professor Saumya S. Jamuar, the consortium brings together esteemed experts: Professor Vorasuk Shotelersuk from the Center of Excellence for Medical Genomics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand; Professor Ming Chen from Changhua Christian Hospital Medical Center, Taiwan; Assistant Professor Jee Soo Lee from Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUCM) Laboratory Medicine, South Korea; and Associate Professor Sohyun Hwang, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, South Korea. Together, they are breaking new ground in fertility research with the goal of revolutionizing care for millions affected by subfertility and RPL globally.

“The formation of the HiFi Solves Sub-fertility Consortium is a significant step forward in fertility research,” said Christian Henry, President and Chief Executive Officer of PacBio. “By bringing together leading experts and leveraging the power of HiFi sequencing along with DNAstack’s federated data platform, we are poised to make substantial advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of subfertility and recurrent pregnancy loss.”

Subfertility affects approximately one in six people globally, while RPL impacts 1-2% of women, often resulting in considerable psychological and financial strain. The consortium is harnessing the capabilities of PacBio HiFi sequencing technology to tackle these challenges head-on. Unlike traditional methods—such as karyotyping, chromosomal microarray, and whole-exome sequencing—HiFi sequencing offers a comprehensive, high-resolution approach that identifies complex chromosomal rearrangements and sub-microscopic abnormalities that other technologies may miss.