Countable Labs and Promega Forge Co-Marketing Agreement to Streamline Rare Variant Detection with Single-Molecule PCR
Key Insights
Countable Labs (search) and Promega (search) announced a co-marketing agreement integrating the Maxwell® System for nucleic acid extraction with Countable PCR instruments for end-to-end rare variant detection.
The combined workflow demonstrated detection of KRAS G12C (search) mutations at 0.08% mutant allele frequency (MAF) from cfDNA extracted from human blood plasma with reproducible results across technical replicates.
Countable PCR spatially isolates single molecules across 30 million compartments, enabling true single-molecule quantification and maximizing detection of rare targets that traditional PCR methods miss.
Countable Labs (search) and Promega (search) have entered into a co-marketing agreement that brings together Promega's Maxwell® System for automated nucleic acid extraction and Countable Labs' breakthrough single-molecule PCR technology, creating an integrated, end-to-end workflow for rare variant detection and quantification. The collaboration, announced on July 7, 2026, aims to deliver a complete, bias-free solution for DNA and RNA extraction and quantification to researchers across the life sciences industry.
The partnership addresses a critical need in translational research and diagnostics: the ability to reliably detect rare genetic variants that conventional PCR methods often miss. By combining Promega (search)'s established sample preparation platform with Countable PCR's single-molecule quantification capabilities, the companies offer what they describe as a seamless "sample-to-answer" solution.
Integrated Workflow from Extraction to Detection
The combined workflow begins with the Promega (search) Maxwell® System, an automated benchtop instrument that employs a paramagnetic, particle-based approach to process up to 48 samples in parallel. The system is designed to deliver high-quality nucleic acids suitable for a broad range of downstream applications with speed and reliability.
Following extraction, nucleic acids are analyzed using Countable PCR instruments, which spatially isolate single molecules across 30 million compartments. This architecture enables true single-molecule quantification and uses the majority of extracted material as input, interrogating samples more completely than traditional methods.
"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," said Anjali Pradhan, Chief Business Officer at Countable Labs (search).
Demonstrated Sensitivity in Liquid Biopsy Applications
In a poster published by Countable Labs (search) illustrating the utility of the integrated workflow, total circulating free DNA (cfDNA) was extracted from human blood plasma using a magnetic bead-based automated system—specifically, the Rapid ccfDNA Kit on the Maxwell® CSC system—to ensure consistent recovery from low-input material.
When coupled with a pre-amplification step, a multiplexed KRAS assay using Countable PCR achieved detection at 0.08% mutant allele frequency (MAF) for the G12C variant without compromising sensitivity for multiplexing. The results were reproducible across technical replicates and were achieved with minimal optimization, underscoring the practical utility of the combined platform for researchers.
Advancing Precision Medicine
The collaboration reflects both companies' commitment to addressing technological challenges in the life sciences. "Promega (search) and Countable Labs (search) are aligned in our desire to provide flexible, best-in-class, solutions for life sciences' biggest technological challenges," said Alok Sharma, Global Clinical Market Director at Promega. "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."
Pradhan emphasized the strategic value of the partnership: "Partnering with Promega (search) gives our customers a seamless, end-to-end solution from sample to answer, empowering a new wave of precision medicine innovation."
The companies will host a joint webinar on July 9, 2026, at 9 a.m. Pacific time, covering the complete liquid biopsy workflow from cfDNA extraction using the Promega (search) Maxwell® System through ultra-sensitive mutation detection using Countable PCR.