Roche’s SBX technology just helped Broad Clinical Labs set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the fastest DNA sequencing ever.
According to a recent press release, for laboratory leaders tracking the next wave of genomic innovation, Roche’s latest advancements in sequencing technology could signal a major shift in research capabilities. At the 2025 American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, the company unveiled new data and collaborations around its Sequencing by Expansion (SBX) platform—a system designed to deliver faster, longer, and more flexible reads.
This technology’s growing adoption by research institutions suggests it could soon reshape how labs approach complex multiomic analysis, precision oncology, and translational research.
World Record Broken
A highlight of the 2025 ASHG Annual Meeting was the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD achievement by Broad Clinical Labs, which used SBX to complete the fastest human genome sequencing to date, processing a sample from DNA extraction to final variant call file in under four hours. This record, achieved in collaboration with Roche Sequencing Solutions and Boston Children’s Hospital, surpassed the previous mark of just over five hours, demonstrating SBX’s ability to deliver rapid, high-quality results.
Mark Kokoris, inventor of the SBX chemistry and head of SBX Technology at Roche said, “The true impact lies in what this speed and accuracy mean for the scientific community and for deciphering complex diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative conditions.”
Mark Kokoris, inventor of the SBX chemistry and head of SBX Technology at Roche commented, “Breaking the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD is a remarkable achievement.” (Photo credit: Roche)
Roche also announced a new collaboration with the Wellcome Sanger Institute, which will conduct multi-project evaluations of SBX across applications such as Bulk RNA sequencing, where longer reads and higher throughput could uncover complex features like spliced isoforms. This partnership adds to a growing network of collaborations that include the Hartwig Medical Foundation, Genentech, The University of Tokyo, and the Broad Institute, reflecting widespread scientific interest in applying SBX across diverse research domains.
Further innovations include progress in methylation mapping using SBX-Duplex, which reads both DNA strands simultaneously, paired with TET-assisted pyridine borane sequencing (TAPS) from Watchmaker Genomics. This workflow enhances accuracy in detecting DNA methylation and holds promise for applications such as liquid biopsy-based cancer detection and novel biomarker discovery.
In another collaboration, researchers at the University of Tokyo leveraged SBX’s speed and flexibility for spatial sequencing of lung cancer tissue, achieving roughly 15 billion reads in just one hour. Roche also presented a target enrichment method using the SBX-Simplex workflow, which employs Unique Molecular Identifiers (UMIs) to generate highly accurate reads from minimal input, an approach that could be particularly valuable in oncology research requiring deep sequencing coverage.
For diagnostics and research laboratories, Roche’s progress with SBX represents more than a technical milestone, it points to new operational opportunities. Potentially faster turnaround times, deeper insights across multiple molecular layers, and improved workflows could help labs expand their research portfolios and strengthen partnerships in precision medicine. As sequencing continues to evolve from discovery to real-world application, forward-thinking lab leaders will want to keep an eye on how SBX’s scalability and speed might redefine their own genomic testing strategies.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
—Janette Wider
