SGS has launched a commercial cell sorting service in Germany using its BD FACSAria Fusion system.
The FACS system was created as a tool to drive innovation in the cell and gene therapy space and support the development of advanced therapeutics.
This technology, which was previously only available on a smaller scale, is capable of precise and accurate cell characterisation and sorting — which is achieved using intra and extracellular markers.
Through this launch, SGS can better assist its biopharmaceutical clients in developing novel advanced therapies by enabling the development of customer-specific biomarkers and rare cell population isolation.
BD FACSAria Fusion
SGS' novel technology, BD FACSAria Fusion, is equipped with 16 fluorescence detectors and four lasers, which together allow the parallel measurement of thousands of cells and biomarkers.
It is able to sort single cells while processing up to 384 wells per plate — facilitating the efficient isolation, cultivation and cryopreservation of rare cell populations and cells with customer-specific biomarkers.
This technology is utilised in a biological safety level 2 genetic engineering facility, which allows for the examination of genetically modified cells.
Therefore, the BD FACSAria Fusion can be used for the early identification of potential toxic effects of certain cell lines, as well as the subsequent evaluation of their therapeutic success.
To ensure the service runs smoothly, SGS has set up a global network of laboratories to minimise transfer times between these sites and clinical facilities.
This service is further enhanced by additional downstream applications, such as immunological and molecular biological procedures.