The company operates high-complexity, CLIA-certified, and CAP-accredited central laboratories to process patient samples ordered by medical specialists, health systems, and biopharmaceutical partners across the globe.

Core Technology & Scientific Approach

Natera's proprietary platform integrates advanced molecular biology with sophisticated bioinformatics and statistical modeling:

• Targeted Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Analysis: Unlike standard counting methods, Natera uses highly multiplexed PCR targeting thousands of specific SNPs across the human genome. This enables the differentiation between maternal and fetal DNA in prenatal samples, or between recipient and donor DNA in organ transplant recipients.
• Tumor-Informed Sequencing: In oncology, Natera leverages whole-exome sequencing of a patient's primary tumor tissue to identify patient-specific somatic variants, creating custom, personalized assays.
• Longitudinal Monitoring: The platform is engineered to measure minute fractions of circulating cell-free DNA over time, detecting biological signals such as cancer recurrence or organ graft injury well before physical symptoms or conventional imaging detect abnormalities.

Comprehensive Products and Services Portfolio

1. Oncology Division

Natera's oncology offerings focus on precision medicine, treatment response assessment, recurrence monitoring, and hereditary risk assessment.

• Signatera™ (Molecular Residual Disease - MRD Test):

  • Function: A personalized, tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood assay designed for patients diagnosed with cancer.
  • Application: Evaluates whether residual cancer cells remain post-surgery or adjuvant therapy, monitors treatment response in real time, and detects disease recurrence months ahead of standard diagnostic imaging across multiple solid tumors (including colorectal, breast, lung, bladder, and ovarian cancers).
  • Methodology: Whole-exome sequencing of the patient's surgical tumor tissue identifies 16 patient-specific clonal mutations, which are then tracked longitudinally via routine blood draws.

• Empower™ (Hereditary Cancer Test):

  • Function: A genetic panel analyzing inherited mutations associated with increased risk for developing cancer.
  • Application: Evaluates up to 80+ genes linked to hereditary breast, ovarian, colorectal (Lynch syndrome), prostate, pancreatic, and other cancer types to inform proactive screenings, risk-reducing interventions, and targeted therapies.

• Altera™ (Tumor Genomic Profiling):

  • Function: Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) that evaluates tumor tissue for actionable somatic mutations, copy number variations, and fusions.
  • Application: Matches patients to targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and active clinical trials based on genomic biomarkers such as MSI-H and TMB.

2. Women’s Health Division

Natera's reproductive health suite provides non-invasive genetic insights prior to conception, during pregnancy, and after pregnancy loss.

• Panorama™ (Non-Invasive Prenatal Test - NIPT):

  • Function: A maternal blood test performed as early as the ninth week of pregnancy that screens for common fetal chromosomal abnormalities.
  • Conditions Screened: Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome), sex chromosome aneuploidies (e.g., Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome), and select microdeletions (such as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome / DiGeorge syndrome).
  • Key Capabilities: Uses SNP technology to evaluate placental cfDNA, distinguish maternal from fetal DNA, identify triploidy, and determine twin zygosity (identical vs. fraternal) as well as individual fetal sex in twin pregnancies.

• Horizon™ (Advanced Carrier Screening):

  • Function: Screens prospective or expectant parents to evaluate the carrier status of autosomal recessive and X-linked genetic disorders.
  • Panels: Configurable panels ranging from common conditions (such as Cystic Fibrosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Sickle Cell Disease, and Fragile X Syndrome) to extensive panels covering hundreds of rare genetic conditions.

• Vistara™ (Single-Gene NIPT):

  • Function: Non-invasive prenatal screening test targeting de novo mutations across multiple single genes that cause severe skeletal, cardiac, and neurological conditions not identified by traditional chromosomal NIPT panels.

• Anora™ (Miscarriage Chromosome Test):

  • Function: Post-loss genetic testing on products of conception (POC) to establish whether chromosomal abnormalities were the underlying cause of a pregnancy loss, differentiating between maternal contamination and fetal genetic material.

• Spectrum™ (Preimplantation Genetic Testing - PGT):

  • Function: Genetic analysis of biopsied embryo cells during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycles.
  • Variants: Includes PGT-A (aneuploidy screening), PGT-M (monogenic/single-gene disorder screening), and PGT-SR (structural chromosomal rearrangement screening).

3. Organ Health Division

Natera's organ health segment provides non-invasive monitoring tools for solid organ transplant recipients and individuals with chronic renal conditions.

• Prospera™ (Transplant Assessment Test):

  • Function: A blood test that quantifies donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) in transplant recipients.
  • Organs Covered: Kidney, heart, and lung transplants.
  • Clinical Use: Serves as a non-invasive biomarker of active organ injury and allograft rejection, facilitating timely clinical intervention and helping reduce reliance on invasive tissue biopsies.

• Renasight™ (Kidney Gene Panel):

  • Function: A comprehensive genetic panel evaluating 380+ genes associated with hereditary kidney diseases.
  • Clinical Use: Identifies underlying genetic etiologies of chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cystic kidney diseases, and nephrolithiasis to guide personalized therapeutic and management pathways.

Supporting Services and Clinical Infrastructure

• Genetic Counseling Network: Board-certified genetic counselors provide pre-test education and post-test counseling to assist patients and ordering clinicians in interpreting test results.
• Mobile Phlebotomy & Draw Services: In-home and outpatient blood collection networks facilitate sample acquisition for patients undergoing routine prenatal care, post-transplant surveillance, or longitudinal cancer monitoring.
• Biopharma Solutions: Collaboration with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies utilizing Signatera ctDNA testing and genomic profiling to support translational research, patient stratification, biomarker discovery, and clinical trial endpoints.
• Digital Portals & EMR Integration: Secure digital interfaces for healthcare professionals and patients that manage test requisition, track sample transit, deliver analytical reports, and integrate results into Electronic Medical Record (EMR) workflows.