EXCLUSIVE: PathogenDx's Cannabis Testing Technology Certified To Detect Bacterial & Fungal Species

PathogenDx announced that its next-generation cannabis and hemp testing technology, Detectx-Combined, has received an AOAC Performance Tested Methods SM Certificate to detect Aspergillus species, Salmonella spp. and E.coli STEC in a single-well test for cannabis matrices.

This is the company's second cannabis testing technology to receive an AOAC PTM Performance Tested Methods SM Certificate to help ensure the quality and safety standards of cannabis – the first being Quantx Fungal One-Step, which was the world's first quantitative molecular test for total yeast and mold in cannabis.

Detectx-Combined is a breakthrough molecular-based testing technology that delivers the ability to test for bacterial and fungal species in a single well, reducing lab processing, consumables and time, lowering lab costs by up to 65% and providing comprehensive, accurate results in a single shift.

In addition, the latest scientific breakthrough from PathogenDx enables labs to increase capacity and throughput, does not require advanced bioinformatics and can be performed with standard equipment labs would already have on hand.

With Detectx-Combined, labs can:

• Test all bacterial and fungal pathogens in one process
• Dramatically reduce assay steps and labor hours
• Increase throughput
• Reduce the chance of manual error
• Gain dual results in 6.5 hours
• Save 65% in lab costs

Milan Patel, the company's co-founder and CEO, exclusively told Benzinga that this second AOAC certification "will help us expand our reach, making it so that more testing labs and operators adopt our best-in-class Detectx-Combined technology driving greater efficiency in microbial testing, lowering cost, and delivering a higher level of safety compliance to regulations.

"From a financial standpoint, adopting our technology is prudent since it will help cannabis companies prevent recalls, which have huge costs and can tarnish reputations. But more importantly, our technology helps protect consumers' health – our number one objective at PathogenDx," Patel added.

Photo: Courtesy of Julia Koblitz on Unsplash