As we head into the holiday season, we are more excited than ever to share some good news by announcing the winners of the 2025 Long-read Low-pass SMRT Grant for plant and animal sciences. This year’s call for proposals drew an inspiring range of submissions from researchers working to unlock deeper insights across biodiversity, conservation, agriculture, and beyond. The creativity and innovation in these applications reflect a community energized by what’s now possible with long-read low-pass sequencing.

Join us in celebrating two visionary scientists who are poised to push the boundaries of plant and animal genomics with long-read low-pass sequencing powered by high-accuracy HiFi technology.

Benjamin Moran, PhD (bmmoran@ucdavis.edu) Schmidt Science Fellow, University of California Davis Bluesky | X

Discovering the genomic basis of coral bleaching through population-scale HiFi

Assisted evolution may help corals survive climate change, but requires understanding the genomic basis of coral susceptibility to bleaching. Attempts to map loci affecting coral heat tolerance have largely failed, partly due to the extreme structural diversity of coral genomes. We will overcome these challenges with population-scale HiFi, sequencing 96 Acropora hyacinthus to ~10X coverage across 6 Revio SMRT Cells, constructing a reference pan-genome, then imputing the haplotypes of 360 corals from a common garden GWAS of thermal tolerance with existing low-coverage data. Improved causal variant discovery with HiFi will aid coral conservation, and demonstrate the value of population-scale HiFi resources.

Kristina Black, PhD Postdoctoral Scientist, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research Bluesky

Population genomic and epigenetic responses to mass mortality in Arctic bearded seals

This project will use long-read sequencing to investigate genetic and epigenetic resilience in Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort bearded seals affected by the 2011–2016 Unusual Mortality Event (UME). We will compare three cohorts: pre-UME controls, clinically healthy seals sampled during the UME, and affected seals. Using low-pass sequencing, we will generate population-scale whole-genome data to capture nucleotide and structural variation alongside DNA methylation profiles. Integrated with Hi-C chromatin architecture, these data will test whether cohort-specific shifts (pre- vs. post-UME) in immune and stress-response pathways arise from genetic, structural, or regulatory changes. Findings will advance understanding of marine mammal vulnerability and resilience to environmental stressors.

How to apply for PacBio grants

The PacBio Grant Program invites researchers across the world to apply for complimentary PacBio sequencing services for a diverse array of genomics research projects. To participate, choose an active grant program that aligns with your research area and complete the application by explaining how your important work would benefit from PacBio sequencing. Applications are thoroughly reviewed by experts in each application. Selected winners are notified by PacBio to arrange for free sequencing, which can include free consumables, library preparation, and preliminary bioinformatic analyses, all provided by an authorized sequencing service provider (terms and conditions apply).These opportunities include research across all areas of life sciences. For researchers decoding complex microbial communities, investigating cancer, conserving biodiversity, or exploring the most challenging regions of the human genome, there’s a PacBio grant designed to support your vision. A huge thank-you to all the applicants for sharing your inspiring ideas, and to our co-sponsor Veil Genomics for making the 2025 Plant + Animal SMRT Grant possible.

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