The Long Life Family Study (LLFS) received $80 million from the NIH to extend a large aging cohort and to generate long‑read genomic and epigenomic data using Pacific Biosciences’ Revio HiFi platform. Washington University’s McDonnell Genome Institute will process up to 7,800 samples to detect structural variants, repeat expansions, indels and methylation signatures linked to longevity and healthy aging. The project will integrate sequencing with phenotypes, microbiomes, somatic mutation profiling and proteomics and aims to expand enrollment to families of African ancestry. Investigators said long‑read HiFi sequencing provides resolution for variants and methylation patterns missed by short reads, which is critical for aging and complex trait research. The award is also a commercial win for PacBio: LLFS announced plans to use the firm’s platform, and PacBio’s stock reacted positively on the news. The funding marks a major investment in population‑scale long‑read genomics and epigenomics for aging biology.