Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global leader in laboratory automation and innovation, has announced a strategic partnership with Rarity Bioscience AB to revolutionize oncology research by extending flow cytometry capabilities into clinical molecular research.
The co-exclusive distribution agreement, announced on March 5, 2025, will enable Beckman Coulter to market and distribute Rarity Bioscience's superRCA® technology assays globally. This pioneering solution accelerates the detection of mutations using flow cytometry with significantly higher sensitivity compared to the current gold standard digital PCR (dPCR) method.
Transforming Molecular Research Through Enhanced Flow Cytometry
While traditional flow cytometry research has primarily focused on analyzing phenotypes, this new platform combines a molecular assay based on rolling circle amplification and padlock probes with flow cytometry readout. The integration enables unprecedented sensitivity and specific multiplex detection of sequence variants, including single point DNA mutations.
The technology offers high throughput capabilities resulting in faster turnaround times without requiring additional hardware investment, significantly reducing barriers to implementing molecular research assays in laboratories.
Pietro Lopriore, Vice President and General Manager of the Flow Cytometry Business Unit at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, emphasized the significance of this development: "This milestone reinforces our relentless commitment to providing cutting edge and innovative technologies to laboratories while delivering cost and time savings. This brings a revolutionary new advancement to the field of molecular MRD (Measurable Residual Disease) research."
Lopriore added that these assays complement Beckman Coulter's existing innovative flow cytometry products, such as DURAClone RE MRD panels, empowering laboratories with a broader range of technologies to expand and expedite research possibilities.
Strategic Alignment for Global Impact
Linus Bosaeus, CEO of Rarity Bioscience AB, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: "It is with great excitement we are entering into this partnership. Our strategic decision to develop superRCA technology for use with widely adopted flow cytometry platforms was driven by the goal of enabling rapid scalability and providing laboratories and researchers with immediate access to high-precision molecular testing."
Bosaeus noted that partnering with Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global leader in flow cytometry, reinforces this strategy and allows Rarity Bioscience to focus on expanding their platform's capabilities within MRD assays and beyond.
Implications for Oncology Research
The partnership represents a significant advancement in oncology research tools, particularly for studying measurable residual disease. By combining molecular assays with flow cytometry, researchers can potentially achieve more sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers and mutations, potentially leading to earlier detection of disease recurrence and more personalized treatment approaches.
The technology's ability to detect mutations with logarithmically higher sensitivity than current methods could be particularly valuable in monitoring minimal residual disease in leukemia, lymphoma, and other cancers where early detection of recurrence is critical for patient outcomes.
About the Companies
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has a legacy dating back to 1935 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company operates 11 hubs globally with approximately 2,800 associates and more than 400,000 systems installed worldwide. Their mission focuses on empowering scientific research through automation and innovation solutions for various laboratory workflows.
Rarity Bioscience AB specializes in developing high-sensitivity molecular detection technologies, with their superRCA® technology representing a significant advancement in the field of molecular diagnostics and research.
