WALTHAM, Mass.– PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE: PKI) and Honeycomb Biotechnologies, Inc., announced today the commercial launch of the first of its kind HIVETM scRNAseq Solution for single-cell isolation and analysis. The HIVE solution leverages a portable, handheld device for the capture, storage and RNA-Seq library preparation of a diverse range of cell types, including fragile and labile cells such as granulocytes, nephrons, hepatocytes and neurons. The HIVE solution requires no specialized instrumentation to use and expands opportunities for laboratories pursuing basic, translational, clinical and preclinical research.
Biological resolution at the level of individual cells is powering the next phase of precision health. By integrating sample capture and preservation into a single-use device, the HIVE solution makes it possible to collect samples from multiple sites and maintain sample integrity during storage, shipping and processing from a central testing lab. This provides unparalleled workflow efficiency and sample processing consistency through centralized analysis, which is of particular importance for multi-center studies.
“The Honeycomb team is pleased to collaborate with PerkinElmer as we release single-cell RNA-Seq as the first HIVE application. The HIVE scRNAseq Solution integrates sample storage into the single-cell workflow, decoupling the site and time of sample collection from sample processing and analysis,” said Chief Executive Officer Jim Flanigon, Ph.D. of Honeycomb Biotechnologies. “We believe this will empower the next generation of single-cell profiling while minimizing variability and batch effects, especially for multi-site studies such as distributed clinical trials, academic collaborations and service providers with remote customers.”
“As PerkinElmer continues expanding its core capabilities in cellular analysis and applied genomics, we are pleased to collaborate with companies like Honeycomb Biotechnologies that are revolutionizing the field of single-cell analysis,” said Karen Madden, senior vice president & chief innovation officer of PerkinElmer. “The single cell research and clinical markets are growing rapidly, so it is exciting to bring this product to market and broaden the number of labs, types of samples and range of cells that can be analyzed with the HIVE platform.”
By preserving the sample at time of collection, the HIVE solution maintains the full diversity of cells in a sample. Microfluidic-based platforms and other preservation methods can be harsh, yielding incomplete data due to the loss of delicate cells. Using the HIVE platform, cells are gently loaded by gravity in volumes up to 4 mL, enabling capture of fragile cell types and processing of sparse samples such as fine needle aspirates, cytobrushes, and flow-sorted cells.
With potential applications in diagnostics and therapeutics development, the HIVE platform simplifies single-cell profiling and empowers labs to better understand health and disease at the single-cell level.
