The advantages of SMRT sequencing

Of the current next-generation sequencing technologies, SMRT sequencing is sometimes overlooked. However, attributes such as long reads, modified base detection and high accuracy make SMRT a useful technology and an ideal approach to the complete sequencing of small genomes.Pacific Biosciences'' single molecule, real-time sequencing technology, SMRT, is one of several next-generation sequencing technologies that are currently in use. In the past, it has been somewhat overlooked because of its lower throughput compared with methods such as Illumina and Ion Torrent, and because of persistent rumors that it is inaccurate. Here, we seek to dispel these misconceptions and show that SMRT is indeed a highly accurate method with many advantages when used to sequence small genomes, including the possibility of facile closure of bacterial genomes without additional experimentation. We also highlight its value in being able to detect modified bases in DNA.