Pacific Biosciences (NASDAQ: PACB), the Menlo Park, CA-based maker of a super-fast, super-cheap DNA sequencing instrument for medical, agricultural, and biofuels researchers, disclosed today that it’s laying off 130 employees, or 28 percent of its total workforce. The announcement came today in an 8-K report to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company explained that a slower-than-expected adoption rate for its sequencing machine, which it introduced to the market this April, has left it with more employees than it wants or needs. The workforce reduction “will allow the Company to continue support of its growing customer base with improved service and continued product enhancements, while at the same time conserving cash,” PacBio said in the disclosure.
