Beacon Quest™
Optofluidic System
Flexible Functional Single Cell Analysis for Every Lab
Highlights
Combine proven Beacon technology with tunable throughput to empower functional cellular analysis across a range of applications 
The Beacon Questâ„¢ platform is a medium-throughput cellular analysis system that delivers the power of optofluidics in a flexible, cost-effective package. Designed for labs of all sizes, it enables functional profiling of single cells with high precision, making it an ideal solution for immune monitoring, TCR/CAR discovery, adoptive cell therapy, antibody discovery, and vaccine research. With two chip configurations, Beacon Quest supports both high- and low-throughput workflows, allowing researchers to optimize efficiency without compromising experimental depth.
- Explore the functional landscape of individual live cells, uncovering their unique characteristics in real-time
- Track and observe the same cell through multiple time points, unveiling dynamic changes and interactions
- Unlock deeper insights with advanced profiling, offering an unparalleled understanding of each cell or clone's behavior
- Recover live cells for further analysis, connecting function to downstream discovery and analysis
- Generate rich, high-parameter functional data from single cells, feeding critical information into the development of AI-driven models
- Automate and scale workflows, accelerating the pace of discovery
Your Gateway to the Next Generation
of Functional Single Cell Analysis
The Essential Toolkit to Functionally Characterize Live Single Cells
Beacon Quest brings the precision and versatility of optofluidics to a broader range of labs, replacing traditional well plates or droplets with revolutionary OptoSelect® chips featuring NanoPen® chambers. These enable controlled single cell isolation, culture, and characterization for applications across biopharma and academia. Study proliferation, biomolecule secretion, cell-cell interactions, targeted killing, and more—effortlessly. The system enables real-time brightfield and fluorescence live cell imaging at multiple time points, capturing dynamic cellular responses with minimal hands-on intervention. Its fully automated workflow enables researchers to iterate, analyze, and accelerate discoveries seamlessly.
Key Product Features
- Mid-level throughput system with two chip configurations for flexible experimental design
- Live cell recovery for downstream sequencing and multiomic integration
- Expert support team to guide scientific applications and workflow optimization
- Comprehensive protocols for both pre-defined and custom single cell workflows
- Supports both adherent and suspension cells, enabling studies on cell-cell interactions, molecular expression, and morphology
Applications
Understand the Life of Single Cells
with the Beacon Platform​
T Cell Profiling
Interrogate T cell function to discover effective TCR/CAR sequences , validate the performance of T cells , translate cellular functionality to clinical biomarkers , and recover cells of interest for multi-omic insights.
Assays available: Cytokine analysis, Surface marker staining, Cytotoxicity, Phenotyping
Dynamic Cytotoxicity
Co-culture a T cell with a target cell in NanoPens
Caspase-3 fluoresces imaging across thousands of NanoPens
Multiplexed Cytokine Secretion
Add cytokine capture beads of interest in NanoPens
Characterize cellular heterogeneity and polyfunctionality
Surface Marker Phenotype
Add antibodies targeted toward surface marker of interest in NanoPens
Link behaviors (activation, exhaustion, persistence) with cytotoxicity & cytokine secretion
Antigen Specificity Assays
Find antibody hits against any soluble or membrane-bound targets
Affinity Assay
Relatively rank antibody hits against soluble targets on binding affinity to recover the best antibodies
Cross-reactivity Assay
Easily assess specificity against multiple antigens for cross-species and/or cross-target reactivity
Ligand-Blocking Assay
Identify functional antibodies to drive therapeutic mechanisms of action
Cross-reactivity Assay
Discover better antibodies to deliver therapeutic payloads
Technology
Unique Features of the Beacon Technology
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​
- 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
- 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
Adaptable
High-Throughput Chips
Tailor experiments to specific research needs with flexible chip formats. The Beacon Quest system supports multiple chip configurations, running up to 2 chips simultaneously. Whether running high-throughput immune profiling or focused cell therapy studies, the system offers the right balance of efficiency and precision.
OptoSelect 3500 Chip
This chip has ~3,500 0.75 nL NanoPen chambers that enable some cell division and higher clone throughput.
OptoSelect 11k Chip
This chip has ~11,000 chambers with 0.32 nL NanoPens that are designed for scaling up your throughput of single cell screening.
OptoSelect 20k Chip
This chip has ~20,000 chambers with 0.32 nL NanoPens that are designed for the highest throughput of single cell screening.
Screen the Right Cells Automatically and Precisely
4 Simple Steps to Find the Best Cells
The Beacon 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.
1. Sort
Software detects individual cells and precisely positions them into NanoPen® chambers using patterned light.
2. Culture
Cells grow in a continuously perfused environment, while real-time imaging enables dynamic data collection.
3. Assay
Functionally profile cells through multi-step and multi-assay experiments.
4. Export
Recover high-value cells for sequencing or live-cell applications.
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.
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.
Beacon Quest
Unleash the Full Potential of​
Your Single Cell Research
Complete the form to connect with us and discover how the Beacon Quest system can enhance your research adventure.
Our expert team will be able to answer your questions, show you how the Beacon Quest system works, and share the most relevant datasheets & case studies for your research.