Catalyzing Discovery
Frequently asked questions
01 What is Hypercell™?
Hypercell™ is a high-throughput digital biochemistry cell analysis and sorting platform, with Analytix, Elite and Elite HT series tailored for these purposes, respectively. Bioelectronica’s patent pending technology analyzes and sorts secretors quickly and at a cost that labs can afford, while meeting today’s high throughput demands. By reducing repetitive hands-on time and digitizing biochemistry, the Hypercell platform creates more time for science, innovation and discovery.
02 What Product options are available?
-
Hypercell™-Analytix: Hypercell™-Analytix lets you visualize and analyze millions of cells based on their expression rates and expression types.
-
Hypercell™-Elite: Hypercell™-Elite sorts cells by secretion rate, separating low and non-secreting cells from high secretors.
-
Hypercell™-Elite HT: Hypercell™-Elite HT performs Direct B cell screening through an enabling, largely unattended 24-hour assay vs the industry typical 3-week assay. Transfection, hybridoma immortalization and screening step can be bypassed using Bioelectronica’s game-changing B Cell Direct technology, saving time and money in accelerating drug discovery and cell line development.
03 What makes Hypercell™ different from other devices?
Key advantages of Bioelectronica’s Hypercell™ platform are throughput, scalability, rapid detection and cell recoverability. Through a combination of multiple proprietary innovations, Hypercell™ takes emulsion-based single-cell assays to the next level. With PODS technology, millions of cells can be encapsulated in minutes, versus hours required by serial droplet generators. Hypercell™ is well suited for ultra-high throughput applications such as cell line development in immunology and vaccine development. The Hypercell platform can be parallelized to scale up experiments and dramatically increase lab productivity, throughput and efficiencies.
04 What are some applications of Hypercell™-Analytix technology?
Hypercell™-Analytix lets you visualize the relative secretion rate of hundreds of thousands of cells within a sample — and with antigen-specific single cell secretion rates.
By combining Bioelectronica’s reagent kits and patent-pending imager, Hypercell™ Analytix can calculate the ratio of cells secreting high, medium and low amounts of a specific antigen, antibody or protein that is normalized to the size of each individual POD.
The technology can be applied across many types of experiments including CAR-T construct screening and validation, antigen or T cell receptor discovery and validation, as well as investigation of helper or regulatory T cell function.
Antibody manufacturers can monitor their bioreactors over time. Antibody developers can monitor the stability of their CHO or HEK 293 cells and use Analytix to help them choose when to move to the next stage of their cell line development path.
05 What are some applications of Hypercell™-Elite technology?
The Hypercell™-Elite series can perform all Analytix functions AND rapidly sort high-secreting cells from low- or non-secreting cells so that the cells and antigens can be characterized and/or immortalized. Researchers will find Hypercell™-Elite invaluable because in less than 24 hours, pools of high secreting cells can be collected from a sample of millions of cells. Hypercell™-Elite technology may be applied in cell line development.
06 What are some applications of Hypercell™-Elite HT technology?
In addition to all functional capabilities as the Elite, the HT product allows parallel modules to increase throughput for ultrafast analysis and sort, saving both time and money. Enabled by a 24-hour assay (versus a 3-week assay), Direct B cell screening is one of the most valuable Hypercell™-Elite HT applications. This means that hybridomas can be avoided altogether.
07 How does it work?
Bioelectronica’s digital biochemistry solution combines a unique patent-pending lensless imager, proprietary reagent kits and cell encapsulating PODS technology (Polydisperse Oblate Dispersion System). Consumable chips flow PODS over the imager and electrodes to enable complex fluid functions like mixing and sorting. Bioelectronica’s step-change innovation eliminates the need for robotics and microscope objectives, the source of rate-limiting constraints in biochemical research today. No optical alignment is required, and the imager does not use fluorescence.
Bioelectronica’s proprietary reagent kits make properties of cells, including their secretion rate and surfaces, “visible” to the digital imager and computer vision within the chip. Researchers can analyze and sort single cells based on secretions or similar interactions within individual encapsulated environments.
The analytical workflow employs computer vision strategies such as object detection, neural networks, template matching, and real-time analytics, enabling population-level analysis of cells, their surface markers, and antibody or biomarker secretion characteristics that have previously been unavailable.
08 How do I get started? How difficult is it to use? How much training is required?
One of the things that makes the Hypercell™ platform truly unique and cost-effective is its ease of use. With minimal training, anyone can use Hypercell™ by simply following three easy steps:
1. Mix the cell culture with detection and encapsulation reagents
2. Vortex the mixture to disperse single cells into PODS
3. Load vial containing PODS into the device
Within minutes, you will be able to visualize single cell secretion rates and see results in the data.
09 Can I use my own reagents and proteins?
Yes, customers can use their own reagents once they learn Bioelectronica’s coupling and validation protocol. Bioelectronica can also develop custom assay reagents as a service. Contact hello@bioelectronica.com for more information and pricing.
10 Can the system be run at 37 degrees or in an incubator?
Although the current systems are not fully tested at 37 degrees or in incubators, the system has a very small footprint and may be placed in a standard size incubator.
11 Can the system be run under a sterile hood?
All our systems have small footprint that can fit inside a standard sterile hood.
12 How long does it take to get results?
-
Visualize single cell secretion rates and see results in the data within minutes.
-
Rapidly evaluate the number of high secretor cells in as little as 90 minutes.
-
Separate pools of high secreting cells from millions of sample cells in less than 24 hours.
13 What can Hypercell™ detect?
Bioelectronica developed Hypercell™ to solve two very difficult problems for pharmaceutical and antibody researchers:
-
Establish relative secretion rates for single cells quickly and reliably.
-
Separate high secretors from low or no secretors at a cost that labs can afford.
14 What types of cells can you work with?
Bioelectronica’s PODS can be used to encapsulate cells of many types and stages in cell line development. Cell types include a range of cell lines as well as primary cells in suspension to encapsulate into our proprietary PODS. As examples, researchers using stable or newly transfected CHO or HEK 293 cells have found the Analytix function useful to monitor stability alongside viability, or to choose when to move to the next step in their cell line development path.
15 Do I need a microscope to see cells?
No, the Hypercell™ platform is a lensless imaging system, which means that there are no more depth of focus issues. All cells are imaged within a single, very thin focal plane on a microchip. The imager does not require fluorescence or alignment and is fully automated.
16 Do I need to do any pipetting?
Minimally. You will only need to pipette sample and reagent once at the beginning. Bioelectronica’s PODS take care of the rest by encapsulating cells automatically as though they were being pipetted into their own wells.
17 How much of the analysis is manual vs automated?
Once the sample has been prepared, analysis is completely automatic.
18 Is the system automation friendly?
The sample preparation can be performed in standard automated sample preparation systems. We currently do not have an API ready to integrate with automation systems, but we are looking for a partner to develop the automation integrations requirements.
19 What are the facilities and space requirements?
Bioelectronica’s bench top Hypercell™ platform has a small footprint and can fit inside flow hoods and biological safety cabinets. With access to an electrical outlet, Hypercell™ is ready to sort and analyze. Hypercell™ is a scalable and highly versatile solution with a low switching cost. And, as importantly, Hypercell™ is easy to set up and install.
20 How much does it cost?
Bioelectronica’s Hypercell™ platform is available at a fraction of the cost of less capable systems. Hypercell™ is sold as a device with consumable reagents. Custom assay development, cell-sorting and analysis services are available for interested customers. Contact hello@bioelectronica.com for pricing based on your needs.
21 Who can I talk to about Hypercell™ and getting a demo?
Contact hello@bioelectronica.com to find out more and schedule a demo.
22 How soon can I get one?
Contact Bioelectronica to learn more about our Early Access Program. Email hello@bioelectronica.com to start the process.