NEWS
Seegene previews new automated PCR system
Molecular diagnostics firm Seegene has revealed some details of its forthcoming CURECA automated PCR system following its recent launch at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Vienna, Austria. With a fully modular design, the company says that CURECA introduces a bold vision for automating pre-treatment across diverse PCR specimen types. The new system has been developed for future integration into unattended workflows and adaptable laboratory
settings.Seegene expects to launch CURECA in July. CURECA is designed to automate the entire PCR diagnostic process. It can handle various specimen types
required in the pre-treatment stage in molecular diagnostics (MDx) – such as stool, urine, blood, and sputum – as well as perform the complete PCR testing workflow following sample loading. The first component of CURECA is the Customiable Pre-treatment System (CPS). The CPS is designed to automate the loading of primary sample tubes and operate pre-treatment processing. “The CPS is a modular, automated system intended to streamline pre- treatment processing across diverse diagnostic fields including molecular diagnostics such as PCR, as well as clinical chemistry and immunology assays,” said Young-Seag Baeg, Head of Strategy and Planning at Seegene. Following specimen preprocessing, molecular diagnostics typically involve nucleic acid extraction, PCR setup and amplification, and analysis of results. For specimens that do not need preprocessing, Seegene offers the Primary Sample Aliquot System (PAS) as an alternative to the CPS. PAS is designed to allow direct loading and dispensing of primary samples, helping to simplify the workflow. Seegene is pursuing the integration of PAS with a fully automated PCR process through a modular solution concept called CEFA (Customizable and Expandable Full Automation), intended to support diverse laboratory needs with greater flexibility.
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E. coli made more virulent by nanoplastics
New research from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign food scientists suggests certain nanoplastics may make foodborne pathogens more virulent.
“Other studies have evaluated the interaction of nanoplastics and bacteria, but so far, ours is the first to look at the impacts of microplastics and nanoplastics on human pathogenic bacteria. We focused on one of the key pathogens implicated in outbreaks of foodborne illness – Escherichia coli O157:H7,” said senior study author Pratik Banerjee, associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and an Illinois Extension Specialist; both units are part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois. Banerjee’s team found that nanoplastics with positively charged surfaces were more likely to cause physiological stress in E. coli O157:H7. The stressed bacteria became more virulent, pumping out more Shiga-like toxin, the chemical that causes illness in humans. Pictured are clusters of nanoplastics (red arrows) binding to E. coli O157:H7. The researchers expected positively
charged nanoplastics to impact E. coli because the bacteria’s surface carries a negative charge. To test their opposites- attract hypothesis, they created nanoplastics from polystyrene and applied positive,
neutral, or negative charges before introducing the particles to E. coli either free-floating in solution or in biofilms. The bacteria exposed to positively charged nanoplastics showed stress in multiple ways, not just by producing more Shiga-like toxin. They also took longer to multiply when free-floating and congregated into biofilms more slowly. However, growth eventually rebounded.
Interactions with plastic particles may be doing more than increasing E. coli’s toxicity; other studies have shown biofilms on microplastics may serve as hotspots for the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes, making the bacteria harder to manage. n Nath J, Banerjee G, De J, et al. Nanoplastics-mediated physiologic and genomic responses in pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7. J Nanobiotechnology. 2025;23(1):304. doi:10.1186/s12951-025-03369-z
AI workflow partnership for Histofy
Histofy, a leading UK-based pathology AI company focused on accelerating histopathology workflows in both clinical and pharmaceutical sectors, has announced a strategic partnership with Source BioScience, the largest histopathology service provider in the United Kingdom. The collaboration aims to accelerate the deployment of AI-driven diagnostics, improving accuracy, efficiency, and scalability of histopathological workflows. Through this strategic investment by
Source BioScience into Histofy, the two companies will explore AI-based workflow efficiencies and integration of Histofy’s cutting-edge AI technology into Source BioScience’s state-of-the-art pathology laboratories. The initiative will firstly focus on enhancing laboratory workflows and accelerating diagnostic services, with a view to scaling AI-powered diagnostics across
Source BioScience’s full range of laboratory services. Professor Nasir Rajpoot, CEO & CSO
of Histofy, commented: “This is a major milestone for Histofy. Partnering with Source BioScience will enable our AI solutions to have a direct impact on patient care at scale, across one of the most trusted laboratory networks in the UK. Together, we are laying the foundation for the next generation of AI-enabled digital pathology services - ones that combine deep clinical expertise with cutting-edge artificial intelligence.”
The partnership will also help improve operational efficiencies and create new business opportunities through AI-enabled services and clinical trial support. It also opens the door for R&D collaborations and co-development of new AI-enabled pathology assays.
JUNE 2025
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