UK startup Syndex Bio closed a $15.5 million seed round led by Arch Venture Partners to advance mcPCR, a methylation‑preserving PCR method intended to retain 5‑methylcytosine during amplification. The company plans to push the platform into clinical workflows for methylation‑based liquid biopsies and other epigenetic diagnostics. Syndex says mcPCR preserves methylated molecules that conventional bisulfite or enzymatic conversion can destroy, potentially improving sensitivity for rare methylation signatures in cell‑free DNA. Investors and former Grail executives on Syndex’s board cited the method as a key sample‑prep innovation for next‑generation epigenetic tests.