The agreement combines extraction and PCR technologies to create an end-to-end workflow for DNA and RNA analysis.
Countable Labs and Promega have announced a co-marketing agreement to facilitate a workflow for biological sample preparation and rare variant detection, according to a press release from the companies.
The agreement combines the Promega Maxwell System for nucleic acid extraction with Countable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology for quantification. The companies aim to provide a solution for deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid quantification that integrates their respective products and expertise.
The workflow utilizes the Promega Maxwell System, an automated benchtop instrument that uses a paramagnetic, particle-based process to handle up to 48 samples in parallel. This system produces high-quality nucleic acids for various downstream applications, according to the release.
Following extraction, the materials are analyzed using Countable PCR instruments. This technology isolates single molecules across 30 million compartments for single-molecule quantification. By using the majority of the extracted material as input, the system is designed to detect rare targets that other methods may miss.
In a poster published by Countable Labs, the workflow was used to extract total cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from human blood plasma. When paired with a pre-amplification step, a multiplexed KRAS assay using Countable PCR reached 0.08% mutation allele frequency for G12C without compromising sensitivity, according to the release.
“Countable PCR’s ability to spatially isolate and detect single molecules across 30 million compartments makes it an efficient solution for a range of translational research and diagnostics challenges from monitoring minimal residual disease to pushing the boundaries of liquid biopsy,” says Anjali Pradhan, chief business officer at Countable Labs, in a release.
Promega and Countable Labs are aligned in a desire to provide flexible solutions for technological challenges in the life sciences, according to the release.
“We designed our Maxwell instruments and kits to provide the versatility our customers can trust, enabling experiments that reliably and efficiently deliver high-quality nucleic acids from a broad range of sample input types and amounts, enabling many downstream applications,” says Alok Sharma, global clinical market director at Promega, in a release.
The companies are scheduled to host a joint webinar on July 9, 2026, at 9 am Pacific time to discuss the liquid biopsy workflow, covering cfDNA extraction and mutation detection.
