Seegene's CURECA system is poised to revolutionize diagnostics through complete automation and global accessibility

The landscape of molecular diagnostics is undergoing a profound transformation, moving beyond incremental improvements in speed or precision to fundamentally reshape how testing is conducted and accessed globally. Despite advancements, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates nearly half of the global population still lacks access to essential diagnostic services, crucially in low-resource settings. 
Traditional diagnostic workflows are still burdened with fragmented processes, manual handoffs, and a heavy reliance on highly trained personnel. They’ve proven unsustainable under conditions of high demand and unpredictable outbreaks, as exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted an unavoidable truth — that scalability in diagnostics is not possible without new and better automation solutions.

CURECA — Solving for the future of diagnostics

To help world healthcare structures prepare for the future of diagnostic needs, Seegene has engineered the CURECA™ system, a pivotal solution in this transformation, representing a complete rethinking of diagnostic laboratory operations. CURECA is a fully integrated, 100 percent unattended PCR solution designed to manage the entire process from primary sample loading to delivery of results and analysis without the need for human intervention. Unlike many systems currently labeled as "fully automated" that still require manual intervention at various stages and automate only portions of the workflow, CURECA unifies all stages of the molecular diagnostic workflow into a single continuous system. This includes automated sample decapping, pre-treatment, PCR setup, PCR reaction, quality checks, and results analysis.

Decapping, pre-treatment, and set-up are typically manual bottlenecks that introduce risks such as delays, variability, and pre-analytical errors – a frequent cause of diagnostic failure. By eliminating these manual transitions, CURECA significantly reduces the risk of human error and pre-analytical issues, promoting consistency and enhancing the accuracy of diagnostic readouts. The system is engineered to operate continuously, 24 hours a day, requiring only once-a-day consumable management and scheduled supply checks, freeing laboratory professionals to focus on higher-value responsibilities like oversight, interpretation, and quality control.

The very name CURECA encapsulates its engineering philosophy: Continuous, Unlimited, Random-access, Expandable, and Customizable Automation. This design enables uninterrupted operation, handles diverse sample types simultaneously, adapts to varied testing volumes and urgencies, and fits a wide range of laboratory settings. 

CURECA One: Fully-integrated PCR automation system

CURECA One integrates three functional modules into a single, fully enclosed system. The first is the prep module, which manages all early-stage specimen processing including pre-treatment and aliquoting. The second is the diagnostic module, which automates core PCR operations such as nucleic acid extraction, PCR setup, and amplification. The third is the software module, data analysis and system monitoring layer, which supports equipment integration, real-time tracking, and streamlined control of diagnostic workflows across the system.

Among these, the prep module plays a foundational role by managing diverse sample types and ensuring consistent sample loading for downstream processes. This makes it a central focus within the CURECA system and the entry point of automation.

CURECA Prep: Customizable sample preparation automation

CURECA Prep, the prep module, integrates all early-stage specimen handling into one customizable automation process. It is designed to handle a wide range of primary samples, including stool, blood, sputum, urine, and swab samples that do not require pre-treatment. Whether the specimen requires complex pre-treatment or only simple aliquoting, CURECA Prep adjusts its workflow accordingly.

For samples that require pre-treatment, the system automates essential steps such as decapping, buffer addition, sample suspension, vortexing, heat incubation, centrifugation, and supernatant collection. For analysis-ready specimens, it performs decapping, aliquoting, and recapping. Each operation is optimized based on the sample type and container configuration to ensure accuracy and consistency.

The system supports random-access loading and allows workflows to be customized for different specimen conditions. It is compatible with molecular diagnostics as well as biochemistry and immunodiagnostic platforms, enabling integrated use across various testing applications. Barcode-based tracking is applied throughout the workflow to ensure traceability and minimize the risk of errors. Once-a-day consumable management supports uninterrupted operation and simplifies routine maintenance.

By consolidating early-stage processing into a single integrated process, CURECA Prep reduces human error, improves consistency, and increases overall throughput. It allows laboratories to simplify the onboarding of complex specimens while maintaining accuracy and operational flexibility.

The modular architecture of CURECA is customizable, enabling deployment in various laboratory environments, from high-throughput national labs to smaller regional centers, and integrates with other in vitro diagnostic instruments for streamlined operations. This modularity allows for phased adoption, making CURECA particularly beneficial for institutions facing workforce shortages, space constraints, or evolving diagnostic demands. Unlike traditional batch-based systems, CURECA allows laboratories to load and process specimens as they arrive, enabling real-time prioritization of urgent cases. The fully enclosed design enhances biosafety and maintains a controlled testing environment.

CURECA's flexibility helps labs modernize without overhauling their existing infrastructure and is particularly relevant for national diagnostic networks requiring harmonization. Seegene envisions CURECA becoming a future operational backbone of globally distributed molecular diagnostics, representing a strategic infrastructure for advancing diagnostic equity, operational resilience, and real-time responsiveness on a global scale.

Creating the diagnostic ecosystem of tomorrow, today

CURECA is a key component of Seegene's broader OneSystem™ approach, a unifying vision that integrates its technologies, partnerships, and platforms to deliver diagnostics that are accessible, intelligent, and future-ready. Seegene's commitment to expanding global access and empowering local solutions extends through its Technology-Sharing Initiative. Instead of conventional top-down distribution, Seegene forms NewCos (new jointly managed companies) with strategic partners in selected regions, such as Werfen-Seegene in Spain and HyLabs-Seegene in Israel. These entities function as regional innovation hubs, embedding Seegene’s proprietary multiplex real-time PCR technologies, automation platforms, and quality systems into local healthcare infrastructures. This allows local scientists to actively participate in designing, validating, and updating diagnostic assays tailored to their population's specific needs, fostering self-reliant ecosystems prepared for future health emergencies.

Further enhancing this ecosystem is the Seegene Digitalized Development System (SGDDS), an AI-powered platform that streamlines the design, optimization, and validation of diagnostic PCR assays. Through collaboration with Microsoft, integrating Azure AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC), SGDDS has demonstrated up to a 75 percent improvement in workflow efficiency and a 20-fold reduction in analysis time compared to conventional methods. This accelerates diagnostic development and expands access to high-quality testing by even enabling researchers without prior PCR experience to participate.

In parallel, Seegene is developing STAgora™, a next-generation public health decision-support platform that transforms diagnostics into real-time epidemiological and global insights. STAgora analyzes anonymized patient case data across geographies to detect emerging disease trends, map clinical outbreak patterns, and guide early public health responses. By correlating symptoms and pathogen data across geographies, STAgora helps both clinicians and global policymakers make faster, more informed decisions. Both CURECA and STAgora are scheduled for their official debut at ADLM 2025, followed by pilot testing.

These initiatives represent more than isolated innovations. Together, they form the foundation of Seegene’s mission to create a world free from all diseases. Grounded in the belief that diagnostics should be faster, smarter, and accessible to everyone, Seegene is working with global partners to accelerate development of localized, high-impact diagnostics tailored to urgent public health needs. 

This decentralized approach, with CURECA as its operational backbone, strengthens local research and production capabilities, enhances global preparedness for future pandemics, and offers a scalable pathway for countries with limited diagnostic infrastructure to establish sustainable, self-reliant systems that are both clinically relevant and cost-effective.

"Our vision is to create a world where diagnostic innovation is not limited to centralized labs but shared with local partners who understand their communities best," said Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, CEO and Founder of Seegene. "By empowering regions to develop their own tests, we are helping build sustainable systems for early detection and better health outcomes." 

This vision is not just a new approach to diagnostics. It is a blueprint for a more resilient and inclusive global health future.

Disclaimer: The product(s) exhibited at ADLM are pre-commercial configurations and may vary from the final marketed versions in features, specifications, or components.