Datasheet: Live Single Cell Functional Analysis with Beacon Discovery™
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Optofluidic Instruments

Beacon
Discovery

Live Single Cell. Deepest Functional Insights.

Highlights

Redefining Functional Live Single Cell Analysis With Flexible, Multimodal, Multiomic, Real-Time Insights

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Experience the full potential of live single cell functional analysis with Beacon Discovery. Powered by optofluidic technology, it enables researchers to explore multimodal and temporal cellular responses in real time, seamlessly linking functional data to sequencing from the same single cell for deeper scientific breakthroughs. This compact, affordable platform delivers unparalleled insights into immune profiling, cell therapy, and antibody discovery.

Why Choose the Beacon Discovery System?

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  • Core Beacon Technology – Perform multiple sequential assays and multi-timepoint data collection on the same live single cells
  • Affordable Innovation – Bring high parameter real-time functional cellular analysis to your lab with a cost-effective platform ​
  • Ease-of-Use – Intuitive interface and automated workflows streamline experimental setup and enables running complex experiments ​

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  • Multiomics Connectivity – Recover high-value cells for downstream sequencing (TCR-seq, BCR-seq, mRNA-seq) to link cellular function with molecular mechanisms​​
  • Optimized for Translational Research – Advance immune profiling adaptive cell therapy, and antibody discovery with actionable single cell data​
  • Trusted Technology – Powered by validated optofluidic technology, relied on by top pharmaceutical companies and leading research
Experience the Power of the Beacon Discovery System

Your Benchtop, Affordable, Trusted Platform to the Next Generation of Functional Cellular Analysis

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The Beacon Discovery system brings the precision and versatility of optofluidics to a broader range of laboratories, redefining single-cell analysis through its revolutionary OptoSelect® Chip technology. Replacing traditional well plates or droplets, each OptoSelect chip features thousands of NanoPen® chambers that enable precise single-cell isolation, culture, and characterization. Researchers can effortlessly study cell proliferation, biomolecule secretion, cell-cell interactions, targeted killing, and more—all within a fully automated, intuitive workflow. Real-time brightfield and fluorescence live-cell imaging at multiple time points captures dynamic cellular responses with minimal hands-on intervention.

The system also offers precise control for recovering single cells with desired functions, enabling downstream sequencing to connect functional characterization with transcriptomic or genomic data from the same individual cells. With its compact benchtop design, affordability, and user-friendly interface, Beacon Discovery makes advanced single-cell research more attainable than ever. Its flexibility enables versatile applications including T-cell profiling, antibody discovery and profiling, infectious and autoimmune diseases, and cell therapy—empowering researchers across academia, translational research centers, medical institutions, biotech, and biopharma to iterate, analyze, and accelerate discoveries seamlessly.

Beacon Discovery provides comprehensive, end-to-end solution to answer complex scientific questions

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Key Product Features

  • Ease-of-Use, intuitive interface and automated workflows streamline experimental setup and enables running complex experiments
  • Benchtop design with its accessibility and affordability, making advanced single-cell research available to more labs
  • Live cell recovery for downstream sequencing and multiomic integration
  • Expert support team to guide scientific applications and workflow optimization

Power, Precision, and Simplicity with Beacon Discovery

Beacon Discovery transforms single-cell research by combining precise cell control with powerful multiplexed assays in a compact and easy-to-use platform. Powered by advanced optofluidic technology, it enables researchers to explore multimodal and temporal cellular responses in real time—linking functional data to sequencing from the same single cell, while preserving cell viability for deeper scientific breakthroughs.

Making Single-Cell Functional Analysis Accessible

Biological heterogeneity is a fundamental feature of life—and understanding it is essential for uncovering the mechanisms that drive disease and for developing more effective drugs and therapies. Now, scientists can accelerate breakthroughs in immune profiling, cell therapy, and antibody discovery, leveraging the power and accessibility of Beacon Discovery.

Experience Beacon in Action

Discover how the Beacon platform delivers precise control over single cell experiments in this technology video. See how it enables customized cell selection, real-time high-parameter characterization with multiplexed bead-based assay, and advanced cell-cell interaction assay. Watch live cell retrieval in action and explore how functional single cell analysis integrate with downstream sequencing data (BCR-seq) to empower better and faster antibody lead optimization.

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Powerful Software for Functional Single-Cell Analysis

The Beacon platform includes the Cell Analysis Software (CAS) Suite, a robust toolset that allows researchers to design, execute, and analyze single cell experiments in real time. CAS enables fully customized and automated workflows, delivering high-dimensional insights into single cell heterogeneity, cell function, phenotype, and behavior.

Intuitive Easy-to-use Wizard-based Interface for Designing Functional Single-Cell Experiments

Designing complex single-cell functional analysis experiments has never been easier! The Beacon Discovery includes a new easy-to-use wizard-based interface (included in Cell Analysis Software (CAS) Suite) for designing functional single-cell. Set up and execute sophisticated experiments in just a few clicks!

Researcher Spotlight

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Applications

Understand the Life of Single Cells
with the Beacon Discovery

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The Beacon Discovery is a flexible platform and a versatile solution for researchers in academia, translational research centers, and industry exploring high-precision functional cellular analysis. It enables T cell profiling for immunotherapy, antibody discovery, antibody profiling, vaccine development, and immune repertoire analysis by linking cellular function with molecular signatures through seamless downstream sequencing (TCR-seq or BCR-seq) integration.

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Application

Dynamic Cytotoxicity

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Co-culture a T cell with a target cell in NanoPens

Slow Cytotoxicity
 
Rapid Cytotoxicity
 
Serial Cytotoxicity
 

Caspase-3 fluoresces imaging across thousands of NanoPens

Multiplexed Cytokine Secretion

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Add cytokine capture beads of interest in NanoPens

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Characterize cellular heterogeneity and polyfunctionality

Surface Marker Phenotype

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Add antibodies targeted toward surface marker of interest in NanoPens

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Link behaviors (activation, exhaustion, persistence) with cytotoxicity & cytokine secretion

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Application

Antigen Specificity Assays

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Antigen Specificity Assay

Find antibody hits against any soluble or membrane-bound targets

Affinity Assay

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AbD Page Affinity_Schematic

Relatively rank antibody hits against soluble targets on binding affinity to recover the best antibodies

Cross-reactivity Assay

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Cross-reactivity and Affinity Assays

Easily assess specificity against multiple antigens for cross-species and/or cross-target reactivity

Ligand-Blocking Assay

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Ligand Blocking Assay

Identify functional antibodies to drive therapeutic mechanisms of action

Cross-reactivity Assay

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Ligand Blocking Assay

Discover better antibodies to deliver therapeutic payloads

Technology

Unique Features of the Beacon Technology

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At the core of the Beacon technology is the OptoSelect® chip, which combines nanofluidics and Opto-Electro Positioning (OPE) technology, referred to as optofluidics. Optofluidics leverages light and millions of light-actuated pixels to manipulate cells and beads with precision, empowering precise isolation, and characterization of single cells at scale. Single cells with phenotypes of interest can then be recovered for further downstream analyses, including sequencing.

 

Opto-Electrical Positioning (OEP) Technology

Provides Exquisite Control of Cells and Beads

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  • Uses light to move cells around and into the NanoPens
  • Allows for thousands of parallel single cell experiments at once

NanoPen Horizontal Design

Allows Continuous Media Perfusion

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  • Provides minimal disruption of the contents in the NanoPens
  • Allows for exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste in and out of the NanoPens in a matter of seconds
  • Keeps cells alive and healthy for days to weeks
 
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Flexible to Run Chips with Flexible Chip Formats

Tailor experiments to specific research needs with flexible chip formats. The Beacon Discovery system supports multiple chip configurations, seamlessly adapting to diverse workflows and applications.

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How It Works

Screen the Right Cells Automatically and Precisely

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4 Simple Steps to Find the Best Cells

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The Beacon Discovery platform automates single cell profiling using optofluidic technology, Optofluidics is able to move single cells or beads in large numbers so they can be isolated, cultured, assayed, and exported.

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1. Sort

Software detects individual cells and precisely positions them into NanoPen® chambers using patterned light.

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2. Culture

Cells grow in a continuously perfused environment, while real-time imaging enables dynamic data collection.

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3. Assay

Functionally profile cells through multi-step and multi-assay experiments.

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4. Export

Recover high-value cells for sequencing or live-cell applications.

World Class Support, Just a Click Away

Access protocols, manuals, technical bulletins, training webinars, and more through our support portal.
We’re here to ensure your success at every step.

Beacon Discovery

Unleash the Full Potential of​
Your Single Cell Research

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Complete the form to connect with us and discover how the Beacon Discovery system can enhance your research adventure.

Our expert team will be able to answer your questions, show you how the Beacon Discovery  system works, and share the most relevant datasheets & case studies for your research.