Pacific Bioscience’s single molecules real time (SMRT) sequencing system uses an array of zero mode waveguides (ZMW). The system can sequence long molecules by detecting single fluorescent bases using four colors as they are incorporated by a polymerase in real time using a template sequence.

The main advantage of this system is the continuous sequencing length achieved is 10,000 bases on average.

In contrast is it 1-2 orders of magnitude longer than other sequencing systems.

• Single Molecules Real Time (SMRT) system
• Each SMRT Cell contains tens of thousands of zero-mode waveguides (ZMWs)
• Each ZMW acts like a mini-light microscope
• In each ZMW contains an immobilized DNA-polymerase complex
• Each of the 4 nucleotids is labelled with a different fluorophore
• One light pulse per base incorporation