ABL Texcell Diagnostics Announces Commercial Launch of OpenChek Automation Systems Across EMEA

New automation platform brings open, AI-assisted automation to molecular microbiology and NGS workflows, with configurations from €50,000 to €90,000

WOIPPY, FRANCE, October 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — ABL Texcell Diagnostics (Euronext Paris: ABLD – ISIN: FR001400AHX6) today announces the commercial launch of OpenChek, its new range of configurable laboratory automation systems for molecular microbiology, powered by the Opentrons Flex^® platform.

The launch follows the signing of a Channel Partnership Agreement with Opentrons, under which ABL Texcell Diagnostics will commercialize Opentrons Flex^® systems across EMEA, with a dedicated focus on clinical, hospital, reference and public-health microbiology laboratories.

OpenChek combines Opentrons’ open liquid-handling technology with ABL Texcell Diagnostics’ expertise in infectious disease molecular diagnostics, PCR and NGS-based genotyping. The platform is designed to automate ABL’s UltraGene molecular detection and DeepChek NGS workflows, while remaining open to additional laboratory applications.

A competitive new instrument offering:
OpenChek systems will be offered in different configurations according to laboratory throughput, applications and automation requirements. Depending on the selected configuration, commercial prices are expected to range from approximately €50,000 to €90,000 per system, positioning OpenChek as a competitive route to automation for laboratories seeking to automate existing molecular workflows or introduce NGS into routine microbiology.

The platform can automate key steps including PCR setup, reagent dispensing, sample preparation, NGS library preparation, purification, normalization, pooling and other repetitive liquid-handling processes. Unlike conventional closed automation systems, Opentrons Flex^® is based on an open architecture, allowing laboratories to work with different reagents, consumables, labware and protocols.
The platform also integrates OpentronsAI, enabling users to create, adapt and optimize automation scripts through a conversational interface. This significantly reduces the programming resources traditionally required to deploy laboratory automation and allows laboratories to adapt protocols as their needs evolve.

Using automation to accelerate NGS adoption:
ABL Texcell Diagnostics intends to position OpenChek not only as an automation solution but also as a commercial accelerator for the adoption of sequencing in microbiology laboratories.

Many laboratories already operate significant molecular-testing volumes but have not yet introduced NGS routinely due to workflow complexity, manual library preparation, training requirements and automation costs. OpenChek is designed to lower these barriers.

ABL therefore plans to develop dedicated promotional and migration programs to support laboratories wishing to automate existing FTD/UltraGene molecular-testing workflows, extend the use of DeepChek applications, and progressively implement NGS-based infectious-disease testing.

These programs may combine instrumentation, applications, reagents, automation protocols, training and technical support, with the objective of making automation an entry point into NGS rather than an additional barrier to adoption.

Several hundred European laboratories targeted:
Over the next two to three years, ABL Texcell Diagnostics intends to address several hundred potential microbiology laboratory customers across Europe, including university hospitals, public-health laboratories, private reference laboratories, molecular diagnostic laboratories and sequencing centers.

The commercial strategy will leverage ABL’s existing customer base and distributor network, as well as laboratories currently using molecular infectious-disease testing and considering NGS for pathogen characterization, antimicrobial resistance, viral genotyping and epidemiological surveillance.
OpenChek also adds an instrument component to ABL’s Diagnostics portfolio, creating opportunities to combine instrument placements with recurring revenues from UltraGene and DeepChek reagents, consumables, software and services.

A growing market for NGS automation:
The launch comes as the use of NGS continues to expand rapidly and laboratories increasingly seek to automate the complex workflows surrounding sequencing.

Industry estimates value the global NGS automation market at approximately USD 750 million in 2025, with double-digit annual growth expected over the coming decade. In parallel, the broader European NGS market is estimated at more than USD 4 billion, reflecting the increasing adoption of sequencing across clinical diagnostics, research and public-health applications.

While sequencing platforms have become faster, more accessible and increasingly cost-efficient, upstream processes such as amplification, purification, library preparation, normalization and pooling remain relatively labor-intensive.
These workflows are particularly suitable for robotic automation because they involve numerous repetitive liquid-handling steps where standardization and reproducibility are critical.

For infectious-disease laboratories, NGS is progressively expanding into applications including HIV drug-resistance genotyping, tuberculosis characterization, hepatitis sequencing, microbial genomics, microbiome analysis and pathogen surveillance.
ABL believes automation can play a key role in accelerating this transition by reducing hands-on time, improving workflow standardization and enabling laboratories to increase sequencing activity without proportionally increasing specialized personnel.

“With OpenChek, we are moving beyond reagents and launching a real instrument strategy for molecular microbiology,” said Dimitri GONZALEZ, Head of Diagnostics at ABL Texcell Diagnostics. “Our ambition is to make automation and NGS accessible to a much broader base of laboratories. With configurations from approximately €50,000 to €90,000, an open architecture, AI-assisted protocol development and dedicated DeepChek and UltraGene workflows, we intend to lower the barrier to automation and address several hundred European laboratories over the next two to three years.”

“We are very pleased to expand our collaboration with ABL Texcell Diagnostics through this Channel Partnership,” said Frédérique Lainé, Automation Sales Executive South West at Opentrons. “The combination of Opentrons Flex^®, our open automation ecosystem and AI-assisted protocol development with ABL’s expertise in molecular microbiology creates a compelling approach for laboratories looking for automation that remains flexible, accessible and adaptable to their evolving needs.”

About ABL Texcell Diagnostics (ABLD)
ABL Texcell Diagnostics (ABLD) is an international company that specializes in innovative molecular biology tests and global solutions for its customers:
– Molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection – UltraGene, and
– Genotyping by DNA sequencing – DeepChek^®.

ABL Texcell Diagnostics markets its entire product range globally through its own sales team and a network of exclusive distributors active on all continents. ABL Diagnostics’ customers are academic clinical pathology laboratories, private reference laboratories and researchers willing to implement innovative and robust microbiological content in constant expansion.

Following the acquisition of TEXCELL’s operations, ABL Texcell Diagnostics is expanding its activities in the life sciences sector by integrating expertise and services dedicated to virology, biosafety testing and biopharmaceutical development support.
ABL Texcell Diagnostics has been marketing the products and services of its sister company CDL Pharma since the second half of 2025 through an intra-group strategy agreement.

ABL Texcell Diagnostics, headquartered in Woippy, is a public limited company listed on compartment B of the regulated market of Euronext in Paris (Euronext: ABLD – ISIN: FR001400AHX6).

Dr Sayada
ABL Diagnostics SA
+33 7 83 64 68 50
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