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compact sequencing explained: 16S/28S PCR and the cylindrical hybcell microarray

compact sequencing combines sensitive PCR with the specific identification of microorganisms on the world's unique cylindrical microarray — the hybcell. A look at how it works.

3. April 2026 · cube dx
compact sequencing explained: 16S/28S PCR and the cylindrical hybcell microarray

From nucleic acid to result

It starts with pan-bacterial 16S and pan-fungal 28S PCR. This separates negative from positive samples — negative samples need no further identification, which saves time and cost. Positive samples are then examined further on the hybcell.

The cylindrical microarray

The hybcell is the heart of the platform: a cylindrical microarray that carries hundreds of specific probes in the smallest space. Target sequences from the sample hybridise in parallel — and are read out in a single pass in the hyborg device.

The result is massively parallel multiplexing with simple, robust handling: hundreds of answers from a single sample, in under 20 minutes of read-out time.

One platform, many applications

Because compact sequencing is modular, the same test serves different questions:

  • Sepsis and other severe infections
  • Amplicon sequencing (16S/28S, also Sanger/NGS)
  • Detection of mixed infections and resistance genes

Learn more on the Technology page.

Publications

Publications & studies

33rd ECCMID, Copenhagen · 2023

Comparison of two molecular assays and MALDI-TOF MS Sepsityper for the rapid identification of pathogens from positive blood cultures

P. Starzengruber, N. Ankowitsch, B. Selitsch, B. Willinger, A. Makristathis

Independent evaluation on 410 positive blood cultures: hybcell Pathogens DNA reached a 94.9 % identification rate on-panel and detected all pathogens in 45.5 % of polymicrobial infections — versus 6.8 % for MALDI-TOF Sepsityper — plus resistance markers only detectable by PCR.

Division of Clinical Microbiology, Medical University of Vienna

33rd ECCMID, Copenhagen · 2023

Diagnostic value of blood-culture-independent molecular tests for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections in neutropenic patients with fever

P. Starzengruber, I. Camp, M. Kussmann, F. Ratzinger, W. R. Sperr, K. Gleixner, B. Selitsch, H. Burgmann, B. Willinger, A. Makristathis

Prospective study in febrile neutropenic patients directly from whole blood: of three commercial molecular tests, only hybcell Pathogens DNA showed acceptable performance (best overall ROC-AUC 0.77), with results available in as little as three hours.

Medical University of Vienna

33rd ECCMID, Copenhagen · 2023

Detection of bacterial pneumonia pathogens in patients with COVID-19 using a commercial microarray in comparison with a commercial multiplex PCR and culture

H. L. Verhasselt, M. I. Sanders, F. Herbstreit, S. Dubler, D. Schmidt, J. Buer, P.-M. Rath

100 respiratory samples (mostly BAL) from ICU COVID-19 patients: the hyborg RED2 / hybcell assay detected Haemophilus influenzae best of all methods (20 vs 3 vs 0) with a 2-hour time-to-result and minimal hands-on time.

Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen (University of Duisburg-Essen)