Shorten the Path to Cell Line Development
Current technologies utilized to screen clones for cell line development impact the risk level throughout a cell line development campaign. Biologics pipelines are producing increasingly complex molecules that require more sophisticated measurements, and CHO cell line selection is a painful bottleneck in biotherapeutic development, particularly for complex molecules like bispecifics.
The Beacon platform accelerates cell line development while alleviating these challenges by offering rapid cloning, screening, and selection of CHO cell lines. Widely used by top pharmaceutical firms and CDMOs, these systems enhance workflow efficiency, allowing 4X faster throughput and cutting the development time in half while ensuring >99% monoclonality for FDA filings and higher titer clones. Additionally, the Opto® Assure assays for cell line development on the Beacon platform quickly identify quality clones, reducing costs and improving success rates during the scale up process.
Cell Line Development Application
Confident results in less time
The Most Advanced Platform for Cell Line Development
Continual advancements in optofluidics, imaging, and functional screening assays have transformed the Beacon platform into the industry’s most advanced CLD system. It delivers true multi-functionality, integrating single‑cell isolation with clonality assurance, functional screening for productivity, quality, and stability, and faster development timelines, all on one automated platform.
2017
BEACON FOR CLD LAUNCHED
Beacon launches integrated CLD: cloning, growth, productivity, and recovery.
2018
OPTIMIZED CLD SOFTWARE RELEASED
Assay Analyzer enhances monoclonality evidence for regulatory filings.
2019
PEER-REVIEWED >99% MONOCLONALITY PUBLISHED BY AMGEN
Amgen demonstrates >99% monoclonality assurance on Beacon.
2020
INCREASED CLONING EFFICIENCY AND SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN KAPPA REAGENT RELEASED
Laser-assisted clone recovery launches; SpotLight™ Kappa expands the assay tool kit.
2021
INTRODUCED SUITE OF ADVANCED ASSAYS
A major assay expansion enables faster selection of healthy, productive clones with early quality and stability indicators.
2022
BISPECIFICS % HETERODIMER ASSAY LAUNCHED
The % heterodimer assay is introduced to identify high-quality bispecifics within days of cloning.
2023
SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN LAMBDA REAGENT RELEASED
SpotLight™ Human Lambda streamlines % heterodimer assays for bispecific antibodies.
2024
MERCK PUBLISHES SUBSTANTIAL PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS USING SELECTIVE CELL CLONING
Merck publishes higher productivity and faster timelines with Selective Cell Cloning.
2025
POPULATION DYNAMICS COMPANION KIT INTRODUCED
Population Dynamics Kit makes clone stability and bioreactor predictivity routine and cost-effective.
2026
2026 ROAD MAP
AI–Assisted Data Interaction: Bruker Cellular Analysis is developing AI-assisted clone evaluation to support
confident, data-driven selection.
2017
BEACON FOR CLD LAUNCHED
Beacon launches integrated CLD: cloning, growth, productivity, and recovery.
2018
OPTIMIZED CLD SOFTWARE RELEASED
Assay Analyzer enhances monoclonality evidence for regulatory filings.
2019
PEER-REVIEWED >99% MONOCLONALITY PUBLISHED BY AMGEN
Amgen demonstrates >99% monoclonality assurance on Beacon.
2020
INCREASED CLONING EFFICIENCY AND SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN KAPPA REAGENT RELEASED
Laser-assisted clone recovery launches; SpotLight™ Kappa expands the assay tool kit.
2021
INTRODUCED SUITE OF ADVANCED ASSAYS
A major assay expansion enables faster selection of healthy, productive clones with early quality and stability indicators.
2022
BISPECIFICS % HETERODIMER ASSAY LAUNCHED
The % heterodimer assay is introduced to identify high-quality bispecifics within days of cloning.
2023
SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN LAMBDA REAGENT RELEASED
SpotLight™ Human Lambda streamlines % heterodimer assays for bispecific antibodies.
2024
MERCK PUBLISHES SUBSTANTIAL PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS USING SELECTIVE CELL CLONING
Merck publishes higher productivity and faster timelines with Selective Cell Cloning.
2025
POPULATION DYNAMICS COMPANION KIT INTRODUCED
Population Dynamics Kit makes clone stability and bioreactor predictivity routine and cost-effective.
2026
2026 ROAD MAP
AI–Assisted Data Interaction: Bruker Cellular Analysis is developing AI-assisted clone evaluation to support
confident, data-driven selection.
2017
BEACON FOR CLD LAUNCHED
Beacon launches integrated CLD: cloning, growth, productivity, and recovery.
2018
OPTIMIZED CLD SOFTWARE RELEASED
Assay Analyzer enhances monoclonality evidence for regulatory filings.
2019
PEER-REVIEWED >99% MONOCLONALITY PUBLISHED BY AMGEN
Amgen demonstrates >99% monoclonality assurance on Beacon.
2020
INCREASED CLONING EFFICIENCY AND SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN KAPPA REAGENT RELEASED
Laser-assisted clone recovery launches; SpotLight™ Kappa expands the assay tool kit.
2021
INTRODUCED SUITE OF ADVANCED ASSAYS
A major assay expansion enables faster selection of healthy, productive clones with early quality and stability indicators.
2022
BISPECIFICS % HETERODIMER ASSAY LAUNCHED
The % heterodimer assay is introduced to identify high-quality bispecifics within days of cloning.
2023
SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN LAMBDA REAGENT RELEASED
SpotLight™ Human Lambda streamlines % heterodimer assays for bispecific antibodies.
2024
MERCK PUBLISHES SUBSTANTIAL PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS USING SELECTIVE CELL CLONING
Merck publishes higher productivity and faster timelines with Selective Cell Cloning.
2025
POPULATION DYNAMICS COMPANION KIT INTRODUCED
Population Dynamics Kit makes clone stability and bioreactor predictivity routine and cost-effective.
2026
2026 ROAD MAP
AI–Assisted Data Interaction: Bruker Cellular Analysis is developing AI-assisted clone evaluation to support
confident, data-driven selection.
2017
BEACON FOR CLD LAUNCHED
Beacon launches integrated CLD: cloning, growth, productivity, and recovery.
2018
OPTIMIZED CLD SOFTWARE RELEASED
Assay Analyzer enhances monoclonality evidence for regulatory filings.
2019
PEER-REVIEWED >99% MONOCLONALITY PUBLISHED BY AMGEN
Amgen demonstrates >99% monoclonality assurance on Beacon.
2020
INCREASED CLONING EFFICIENCY AND SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN KAPPA REAGENT RELEASED
Laser-assisted clone recovery launches; SpotLight™ Kappa expands the assay tool kit.
2021
INTRODUCED SUITE OF ADVANCED ASSAYS
A major assay expansion enables faster selection of healthy, productive clones with early quality and stability indicators.
2022
BISPECIFICS % HETERODIMER ASSAY LAUNCHED
The % heterodimer assay is introduced to identify high-quality bispecifics within days of cloning.
2023
SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN LAMBDA REAGENT RELEASED
SpotLight™ Human Lambda streamlines % heterodimer assays for bispecific antibodies.
2024
MERCK PUBLISHES SUBSTANTIAL PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS USING SELECTIVE CELL CLONING
Merck publishes higher productivity and faster timelines with Selective Cell Cloning.
2025
POPULATION DYNAMICS COMPANION KIT INTRODUCED
Population Dynamics Kit makes clone stability and bioreactor predictivity routine and cost-effective.
2026
2026 ROAD MAP
AI–Assisted Data Interaction: Bruker Cellular Analysis is developing AI-assisted clone evaluation to support
confident, data-driven selection.
2017
BEACON FOR CLD LAUNCHED
Beacon launches integrated CLD: cloning, growth, productivity, and recovery.
2018
OPTIMIZED CLD SOFTWARE RELEASED
Assay Analyzer enhances monoclonality evidence for regulatory filings.
2019
PEER-REVIEWED >99% MONOCLONALITY PUBLISHED BY AMGEN
Amgen demonstrates >99% monoclonality assurance on Beacon.
2020
INCREASED CLONING EFFICIENCY AND SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN KAPPA REAGENT RELEASED
Laser-assisted clone recovery launches; SpotLight™ Kappa expands the assay tool kit.
2021
INTRODUCED SUITE OF ADVANCED ASSAYS
A major assay expansion enables faster selection of healthy, productive clones with early quality and stability indicators.
2022
BISPECIFICS % HETERODIMER ASSAY LAUNCHED
The % heterodimer assay is introduced to identify high-quality bispecifics within days of cloning.
2023
SPOTLIGHT™ HUMAN LAMBDA REAGENT RELEASED
SpotLight™ Human Lambda streamlines % heterodimer assays for bispecific antibodies.
2024
MERCK PUBLISHES SUBSTANTIAL PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS USING SELECTIVE CELL CLONING
Merck publishes higher productivity and faster timelines with Selective Cell Cloning.
2025
POPULATION DYNAMICS COMPANION KIT INTRODUCED
Population Dynamics Kit makes clone stability and bioreactor predictivity routine and cost-effective.
2026
2026 ROAD MAP
AI–Assisted Data Interaction: Bruker Cellular Analysis is developing AI-assisted clone evaluation to support
confident, data-driven selection.
Select the Best Clones
for Cell Line Development
Reduce Timelines While Selecting More Productive Clones
The Beacon and Beacon Select optofluidic systems enable high throughput cloning, screening, and selection of top-performing CHO cell lines in just days. Replace 8-12 weeks of onerous well plate steps with Opto® cell line development on the Beacon optofluidic systems. Screen thousands of clones in parallel and select top clones for even complex molecules like bispecific antibodies and non-antibody proteins.
Microfluidic chip-based single-cell cloning to accelerate biologic production timelines
Combined approach of selective and accelerated cloning for microfluidic chip-based system increases clone specific productivity
Leveraging Innovative Technologies to Accelerate Biologics Development
Best in Class Assays to Ensure High-Performing Clone Selection
The Beacon platform enables the rapid measurement and selection of the high-performing clones, leveraging best-in-class assay capabilities to assess monoclonality, growth, productivity, quality, and stability within weeks of single cell cloning to compress cell line development timelines.
Superior assurance of >99% monoclonality for regulatory submissions
As the cells expand in the chamber microenvironment, fluorescence-based assays can be performed at multiple time points to identify clones with desired attributes.
Productivity information at the earliest stages of cell line development
Discern producing clones with a diffuse fluorescent signal gradient during product secretion assays.
Selection based on product quality, not just productivity
Direct detection of insoluble product aggregates within days of single cell cloning, confidently identifying and selecting clones that develop better production cell lines faster.
Use Population Dynamics to predict clone stability within six weeks of single cell cloning
Leverage the Beacon instrument’s unique combination of high throughput and precise productivity assays to characterize hundreds of subclones and uncover emerging clone instabilities early in scale-up.
Superior End to End Monoclonality Assurance
Integrated imaging capability in combination with in-process quality controls provide superior end to end monoclonality assurance compared to microtiter plate based cloning approaches. The Beacon platform has been validated by the cell line development community and regulatory bodies, with 38% of cell line development users adopting the platform and achieving successful IND filings, and robust demonstration of >99% monoclonality with robust statistical analyses.
Monoclonality with the Opto cell line development workflow on the Beacon platform. During a four-week period, a total of 30 OptoSelect chips were loaded with CHO cells on two different Beacon systems, from which 650 clonal populations were selectively unloaded. An additional 2,599 blank exports were performed, and these blank wells were stained, imaged, and manually scored for growth. In total, only three contaminating colonies were identified across all blanks, yielding an average monoclonality of 99.88%.
Scale Your Cell Line Development Process
The Beacon platform is a highly integrated solution for the rapid measurement and selection of clones, freeing scientists’ time while delivering robust characterization of clone performance.
Scale Your Operation
and Drive New Business
Up to 10 times more projects per year. Millions in enabled revenue.
The Most Advanced
Cell Line Development Platform
Rapidly Advance
High Performing Clones
into the Clinic
At the core of the Beacon system is a combination of optics and nanofluidics called optofluidics. The OptoSelect® chips replace typical well plates. Each OptoSelect chip contains thousands of NanoPen® chambers, which replace wells on a microplate. This is where cells are selectively placed, cultured and characterized using a myriad of proprietary Beacon Platform assays.
Key Product Features
- IND-validated monoclonality: Confidently submit to regulators with a customer-validated >99% monoclonality assurance.
- Antibody production measurement from thousands of clones: Advance the most productive and high-quality clones to your master cell bank by leveraging the Beacon platform's unique combination of quality and productivity assays and high throughput.
- Powerful automation: Take advantage of convenient integration to free scientists' time while delivering reproducible and detailed characterizations of clone performance.
How It Works
Understand the life of single cells through functional cellular analysis with the Beacon Platform.
- Customized Clone Selection: Select viable clones and establish monoclonality.
- Breadth of Functional Assays: Function-first assays enable deep characterization of a clone's productivity and product quality.
- Compress Timelines: Measure a clone's productivity, quality, and stability in days to weeks instead of months.
Researcher Spotlights
Beacon for Cell Line Development
Unleash the Full Potential of
Your Cell Line Development Research
Complete the form to connect with us and discover how the Beacon technology can enhance your Cell Line Development programs.
Our expert team will be able to answer your questions, show you how the Beacon system works, and share the most relevant datasheets & case studies for your research.