HiFi Solves Sub-fertility Consortium in Asia Pacific Reports First Major Study Using HiFi Long-Read Sequencing to Investigate Unexplained Subfertility and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Multinational study shows how one comprehensive genomic workflow and secure data collaboration may help reduce fragmented testing for couples seeking answers

MENLO PARK, Calif., May 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PacBio (NASDAQ: PACB), developer of the world’s most advanced sequencing technologies, today announced the publication of a preprint describing the first major study from the HiFi Solves Sub-fertility Consortium in Asia Pacific. The study highlights how HiFi whole genome sequencing could give researchers a more complete view of reproductive genetics in one workflow, while enabling institutions across Asia-Pacific to analyze data through a shared, federated framework.

Subfertility affects approximately 1 in 6 couples globally, yet genetic evaluation often remains fragmented, requiring multiple sequential tests that can take months or years and still leave couples without a clear genetic explanation. For many couples, genetic testing is not a single answer-seeking moment in time. It is a sequence of separate investigations, each looking at only part of the genome. HiFi sequencing offers a more comprehensive approach by assessing multiple variant types in one workflow, which may help reduce repeat testing, shorten the path to insight, and support more informed reproductive counseling.

In this multicenter study, researchers recruited 96 individuals (47 couples and 2 individual participants) across five leading institutions in Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan. The study focused on couples with unexplained subfertility (>= 1 year) or recurrent pregnancy loss after standard clinical evaluations had ruled out known causes.

Of these, 84 individuals underwent PacBio HiFi whole genome sequencing, enabling comprehensive analysis of multiple forms of genomic variation in a single assay. HiFi sequencing enabled improved resolution of complex and repetitive genomic regions that are difficult to assess using conventional approaches, while also allowing characterization of variants across both partners, reflecting the shared genetic contribution to subfertility. To support collaboration across countries and institutions, the consortium used DNAstack’s federated analysis framework to harmonize analysis while keeping data securely managed by participating sites.

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