The company aims to use the methylation technology from its multi-cancer screening assay to detect minimal residual disease in early-stage cancer patients.
The Universities of Southampton and Leeds will lead the project with participation from Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Oncimmune, BC Platforms, Inivata, and NHS England.
Ceres plans to develop its Nanotrap technology to isolate undetectable levels of circulating tumor DNA in blood samples from non-small cell lung cancer patients.
The company believes its tests can already help oncologists better assess post-surgery risk, though prospective validation would be necessary for broad claims.
The firm also discussed recent studies comparing its UltraSeek lung cancer assay with more established liquid biopsy tests to detect drug-resistant mutations.
The company highlighted efforts to expand the use of its tests in the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, an area in which research collaborations have begun to yield some data.
The Chinese company is branching out from its core genomics business to liquid biopsy cancer screening and monitoring as it eyes areas for global expansion.
The liquid biopsy's firm's net loss rose significantly year over year, but it beat the top line consensus Wall Street estimate, with total revenues of $74.6 million for the quarter.
