Roche has launched AXELIOS 1 based on SBX technology, with a combination of accuracy, speed, flexibility, scalability and cost efficiency that addresses critical bottlenecks in genomics and potentially in clinical research. Roche says AXELIOS 1 will enable researchers to make discoveries that enhance our understanding of diseases, with the potential to replace existing technologies in pivotal research areas.
“AXELIOS 1 will deliver a disruptive sequencing solution that combines high accuracy with unprecedented speed and scalability. These attributes, combined with our high level of cost efficiency, will enable the sequencing community to develop applications that previously were not feasible,” said Matt Sause, CEO of Roche Diagnostics.
“Additionally, in the future, AXELIOS 1 has the same potential to enable the next generation of clinical applications and unlock new frontiers in personalised healthcare.”
The AXELIOS 1 platform’s flexible sequencing run setup and high throughput handles everything from small-scale studies to massive genomic projects, ensuring laboratories can expand their research capabilities with a single instrument. For researchers, this provides broader freedom of exploration and new workflows that can expand our knowledge of complex diseases.
Through collaborations with institutions such as Hartwig Medical Foundation and Broad Clinical Labs, AXELIOS 1 launches with proven real-world capabilities, including studies that confirm the AXELIOS 1 platform delivers impressive accuracy and throughput with record-breaking speed and better cost efficiency. These collaborations also extend to library preparation and analysis tools, including a partnership with 10x Genomics for single-cell and spatial application kits, and support for SBX via Google DeepVariant as well as the open-source suite of XOOS tools.
With a market value of $7.3bn, sequencing continues to expand across both research and clinical sectors and overall growth is projected to reach double digits within the next few years. Since sharing early access data last and earlier this year, there has been interest in the SBX technology from the sequencing community.
AXELIOS converts DNA/RNA into high signal‑to‑noise ‘Xpandomers,’ which are measured by a sequencing instrument using a reusable complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) sensor containing millions of nanopores. This architecture enables accurate, ultra‑rapid, flexible and high‑throughput, single‑molecule sequencing with near real‑time analysis.
The AXELIOS 1 platform can be used for smaller, faster batches or larger projects without changing systems or workflows, and it is capable of producing whole‑genome results the same day.
Roche will be offering library prep kits and a free open-source bioinformatics analysis suite (XOOS) tailored for SBX technology. In addition, the platform is built to allow for the flexible use of other life sciences tools, enabling high compatibility across a broad breadth of research applications.
Since the SBX technology was unveiled in early 2025, multiple research applications have been tested on the technology as proof of principle, including whole‑genome sequencing (WGS), RNA‑sequencing, single‑cell RNA, spatial, and methylation, among others. Early‑access users have also demonstrated practical research applications across oncology, genetics and infectious diseases, as well as garnering the world record for fastest DNA sequencing technique. AXELIOS 1 is for research use only and not for use in diagnostic procedures.
The SBX technology is a novel sequencing approach which uses a biochemical process to encode the sequence of a target nucleic acid molecule (DNA or RNA) into a measurable surrogate polymer called an “Xpandomer.”
Xpandomers, which are 50 times longer than the original molecule, encode the sequence information into high signal-to-noise reporters, meaning they provide clear signals with minimal background noise when threaded through a nanopore, thereby significantly improving the accuracy of single-molecule sequencing.
The SBX chemistry is coupled with a reusable, high-throughput CMOS sensor module and an advanced analysis module that enables ultra-rapid, near real-time base calls and analysis. This module is designed with a highly scalable and flexible architecture for cost-efficient sequencing across different project sizes, from small-scale studies to large projects involving thousands of samples. Workflows can also be adapted for various experimental needs, including reads of up to ~1500bp under appropriate sample and library prep conditions and ultra-fast processing from sample to Variant Calling Format (VCF).
This versatility makes the SBX technology suitable for a variety of applications, including but not limited to whole genome sequencing, whole exome sequencing, and RNA sequencing.