What is Seegene’s CURECA system and why is it a game-changer in PCR automation?

Seegene Inc., a global leader in molecular diagnostics, has announced the development of CURECA, a next-generation, fully automated PCR testing solution designed to transform laboratory workflows. This advanced system aims to address one of the most persistent bottlenecks in diagnostic laboratories: the manual labour-intensive processes that precede PCR testing. Seegene revealed its vision for the platform through a conceptual video at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global 2025), with a physical demonstration slated for July at ADLM 2025 in Chicago. The technology promises to advance the company’s longstanding mission to streamline and modernise diagnostic testing through intelligent automation.

The name CURECA, an acronym for Continuous Unlimited Random access Expandable and Customizable full Automation, encapsulates the system’s core mission — to enable fully integrated, end-to-end PCR workflow automation, spanning from pre-treatment of samples to gene amplification and result analysis. In an era where diagnostic labs are facing increasing demand for accuracy, scalability, and rapid turnaround times, CURECA is positioned to emerge as a strategic leap forward in the automation of molecular diagnostics.

How will CURECA redefine sample pre-treatment in molecular diagnostics?

A significant innovation within the CURECA system is its Customizable Pre-treatment System (CPS), which targets the historically manual and error-prone process of preparing diverse clinical specimens. Laboratories routinely handle a wide variety of sample types, including stool, blood, sputum, and urine, each with different preparation needs. The pre-treatment phase often involves multiple manual interventions such as vortexing, centrifugation, heating, and categorising different types of sample containers. These processes not only require skilled personnel but also represent a critical point of potential error in the diagnostic workflow.

By automating these early-stage procedures, Seegene seeks to reduce the variability and inefficiencies caused by manual handling. CPS is being developed to support not just PCR but other diagnostic domains as well, including hematology, biochemistry, and immunodiagnostics, making it a cross-functional solution with broader applicability in clinical lab environments. Its modular nature will allow laboratories to integrate CPS independently or as part of the larger CURECA system, offering flexibility based on scale, budget, or diagnostic focus.

What components make up the CURECA system, and how do they enhance diagnostic throughput?

The second core module within the CURECA ecosystem is Customizable and Expandable Full Automation (CEFA). This segment is responsible for overseeing key post-pre-treatment steps including nucleic acid extraction, PCR setup, gene amplification, and result analysis. Together with CPS, CEFA forms a closed-loop, automated environment capable of operating around the clock.

CEFA’s design supports continuous random access, which allows laboratories to input and process samples in real time without waiting for a batch cycle to complete. This dynamic input-output capacity is critical in urgent or emergency diagnostic situations, such as detecting infectious disease outbreaks or running high-throughput COVID-19 tests. Importantly, Seegene’s vision for CEFA includes modularity and scalability, allowing diagnostic laboratories to expand or reduce their capacity as needed without overhauling the entire system.

By integrating both CPS and CEFA, CURECA is expected to create a comprehensive and intelligent diagnostic ecosystem that significantly reduces manual interventions, accelerates time-to-results, and ensures a consistent quality standard across large testing volumes. The system’s architecture is built for 24/7 operation, addressing one of the biggest limitations in current lab infrastructure: downtime due to staffing or shift limitations.

Why is full workflow automation becoming critical for the future of clinical diagnostics?

The global diagnostics sector is at a crossroads, with rising expectations for testing accuracy, speed, and cost-efficiency. The COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted both the necessity and fragility of laboratory testing infrastructure, pushing governments, healthcare institutions, and private sector stakeholders to rethink traditional lab workflows. One of the clear outcomes has been the growing interest in end-to-end automation, particularly in molecular diagnostics, which rely on complex, multi-step processes prone to human error.

Seegene’s strategic pivot toward full workflow automation aligns with these global trends. By investing in systems that reduce reliance on trained personnel and manual handling, laboratories can achieve both operational resilience and higher testing throughput. Moreover, automated systems like CURECA can help bridge the skills gap faced by many healthcare systems, where shortages in qualified lab technicians can hinder diagnostic capacity, especially in rural or under-resourced settings.

The introduction of intelligent automation platforms also facilitates data standardisation and digital traceability, making it easier to integrate lab results into broader health information systems. This capability is especially relevant in an era of personalised medicine and epidemiological surveillance, where real-time data analysis and aggregation are becoming core to public health strategies.

How is Seegene positioning CURECA within the competitive molecular diagnostics landscape?

Seegene has historically focused on innovation within the PCR domain, particularly through its Allplex™ assay portfolio, which introduced multiplex real-time PCR testing capable of detecting multiple pathogens simultaneously. The company was also among the early movers in developing syndromic panels for respiratory, gastrointestinal, and sexually transmitted infections. CURECA builds on this legacy by combining Seegene’s assay development expertise with its growing capabilities in lab automation.

With the launch of CURECA, Seegene enters a more competitive and strategic segment of the diagnostics market — one increasingly shaped by companies such as Roche Diagnostics, Qiagen, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, all of which have invested heavily in lab automation. However, Seegene’s differentiator lies in its customisation-first approach, offering modular and scalable automation rather than a one-size-fits-all system.

By unveiling CURECA at ESCMID Global 2025 and planning a live demonstration at ADLM 2025, Seegene is clearly targeting a global audience of microbiologists, pathologists, and lab decision-makers. These events serve as influential platforms for launching novel diagnostic solutions and are critical for generating early feedback, partnership interest, and regulatory visibility.

What are the broader implications of CURECA for clinical laboratories and healthcare systems?

As healthcare systems worldwide pivot toward digitisation and automation, solutions like CURECA could become foundational to future-ready laboratories. The system’s ability to integrate seamlessly into existing workflows while supporting expansion makes it an attractive option for hospitals, reference labs, and national diagnostic programmes aiming to scale capacity efficiently.

Moreover, by supporting interdisciplinary testing environments, CURECA may enable more holistic approaches to diagnostics, where clinical labs can consolidate resources across molecular, biochemical, and immunodiagnostic verticals. This has the potential to lower costs, improve lab utilisation rates, and ultimately deliver faster diagnostic outcomes for patients.

While Seegene has not yet released timelines for commercial availability, the system’s public conceptualisation and modular architecture suggest that it is being designed with global deployment in mind — including markets where decentralised or resource-constrained lab environments require compact, user-friendly automation tools.