Haoyu Cheng at Yale unveiled hifiasm (ONT), an algorithm that assembles near end-to-end human genomes using standard sequencing inputs, eliminating the need for ultra-long DNA reads that demand far more material and are often infeasible for clinical samples. The tool reconstructs complete genomes while relying on routine laboratory workflows, broadening access to high-quality assemblies. Cheng’s approach reduces sample material requirements and lowers technical barriers for institutions that cannot perform ultra-long-read sequencing, enabling more patient-derived genomes to be assembled for research and diagnostics. For clinical genomics, this may increase the feasibility of comprehensive structural-variant detection in routine settings; hifiasm (ONT) could accelerate population and disease-specific reference-genome projects.