NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – NanoString Technologies and BD segment BD Biosciences today announced a collaboration to develop a single-cell isolation and analysis workflow.
The two firms will jointly develop a workflow using NanoString's nCounter Analysis System, including the nCounter Single Cell Assay, and the BD Flow Cytometry cell sorter product line, with an emphasis on the new BD FACSJazz cell sorting system.
The workflow will enable the analysis of single-cell gene expression for applications in oncology, immunology, and stem cell research, the companies said. The collaboration includes the development of materials documenting the workflow protocol, and the co-hosting of meetings and webinars related to the single-cell workflow.
NanoString's nCounter system directly profiles hundreds of molecules simultaneously, using barcoding technology. The platform digitally quantifies the activity of up to 800 genes at once in a single experiment.
BD's FACSJazz system, can identify, characterize, and isolate single or multiple cells and deposit them in 96 and 384 well plates to provide rapid cell isolation, tracking, and identification.
"Maximizing both the quantity and quality of data that can be extracted from a single cell is critical to the emerging field of single cell biology," NanoString President and CEO Brad Gray said in a statement. "The nCounter Analysis System and the BD FACSJazz Cell Sorting System can together provide a powerful and efficient workflow for single cell gene expression analysis."
BD Biosciences President Alberto Mas added, "We believe this new sorting workflow will complement the recent and very rapid advances in genomic studies that value the requirement for greater sample integrity for critical single cell analysis."
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.