Pacific Biosciences sold its short‑read sequencing assets to Illumina for $48.1 million, signaling continued strategic focus on long‑read platforms and a shift in market positioning. PacBio said the divestiture sharpens its balance sheet and concentrates R&D on differentiated long‑read technologies. In parallel, MGI Tech agreed to buy BGI subsidiaries STOmics and CycloneSeq for RMB 365.7 million to bring spatial and nanopore platforms into its product portfolio. MGI plans follow-on investments to commercialize the technologies and integrate them into a broader sequencing strategy. The twin transactions mark active consolidation in sequencing tools: incumbents are trading assets to align platform roadmaps and customers are watching how these moves reshape competitive offerings in short‑read, long‑read, spatial, and nanopore segments.