Roche Partners with Broad Clinical Labs to Advance SBX Sequencing Technology in Research and Clinical Applications

Roche collaborates with Broad Clinical Labs to introduce SBX sequencing technology into research and clinical settings.

Roche said on Friday that it has signed a strategic partnership with Broad Clinical Labs, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Broad Institute, to develop research and clinical applications for Roche's recently launched Sequencing By Expansion (SBX) technology.

The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

According to Roche, the first project in collaboration with Broad involves deploying SBX technology to advance research on trio-based whole genome sequencing for critically ill newborns and their biological parents. The company stated that this effort aims to "establish a future state where whole genome sequencing becomes a routine part of clinical care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)."

In addition, Roche and Broad will explore the capabilities of SBX technology in RNA sequencing, including both bulk and single-cell methods.

"Integrating SBX technology into clinical and translational pipelines opens up exciting new possibilities," said Niall Lennon, chairman and CSO of Broad Clinical Labs, in a statement. "Our collaboration with Roche aims to demonstrate how rapid, scalable, and high-quality sequencing can support routine clinical care and drive biomedical innovation."

Roche plans to launch its SBX platform in 2026, which was unveiled in February after more than a decade of development. Broad Clinical Labs is one of the platform's first early access users.