Manchester, UK, and Cambridge, UK, 24 March 2026: Primerdesign (part of the Novacyt Group), a company focused on the design, manufacture, validation and supply of nucleic acid extraction and real-time PCR kits, and Origin Sciences (Origin), a company pioneering the detection and diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) disease through an unprecedented focus on a unique biospecimen: rectal mucus; today announced a strategic partnership to create a new protocol that optimises DNA extraction from novel rectal mucosal samples. The custom workflow will help to unlock molecular insights from these challenging sample types and improve diagnostic utility in gut health conditions.

Origin’s patented, extensively tested medical device, OriCol™ enables reliable, rapid, minimally invasive sample collection of rectal mucus, addressing the urgent need for accurate, affordable in vitro diagnostics for colorectal cancers and advanced adenomas. The capabilities and performance of these testing applications is determined by the quality and efficiency of material recovery from the biospecimen. Primerdesign offers capabilities in custom assay development and high-quality nucleic acid extraction solutions as part of its exsig^® Mag range. Together, they have collaborated to develop an innovative, robust and reproducible sample collection and nucleic acid extraction workflow that demonstrates consistent performance and high DNA yields from rectal mucus samples.

Sampling methodologies have previously limited the investigation of gut health and diseases, which often rely on stool or blood. Rectal mucus contains the cells and molecular signals shed from the lining of the entire colon. This provides a diverse and consistent biospecimen for representative gut examination that is uniquely suited for detecting the earliest signs of GI disease as well as residual disease monitoring, treatment selection and recurrence surveillance.

Dr Jo Mason, CSO of Novacyt, said: “By unlocking the diagnostic potential of rectal mucus, Origin is helping to transform early detection, disease management, and patient outcomes worldwide. The performance of these testing applications hinges on the efficacy of the genetic material recovery. Our team is proud to have an outstanding reputation in custom assay development and nucleic acid extraction. Working in collaboration with Origin has resulted in a highly efficient custom DNA extraction workflow that will help to expedite the screening and diagnosis of colorectal cancer and other GI diseases.”

Dr Daniel Wise, CSO of Origin Sciences, added: “We are pleased to partner with Primerdesign’s expertise in high-quality custom DNA extraction from rectal mucus samples to deliver a scalable, bespoke nucleic acid extraction system that outperforms all commercially available alternatives assessed.

Extracting high-quality DNA data from our samples will allow us to detect GI diseases at its earlier stages so we can save lives, save time, and save money.”

Download the whitepaper ‘A Novel Extraction Methodology for a Novel Biospecimen’ to learn more about the novel rectal mucosal extraction workflow: https://www.primerdesign.co.uk/learn/your-expert/.

For further information about Primerdesign’s exsig Mag extraction kits and custom assay services: www.primerdesign.co.uk/products/extraction/ and https://www.primerdesign.co.uk/oem-solutions-and-custom-assay-development/.

For further information about Origin’s OriCol device: www.originsciences.com/device.