The platform – launched in December 2016 – uses a light-based, nano-fluidic method to select, characterise, culture and export single cells.
According to Berkeley Lights (BLI), Beacon can screen thousands of plasma B-cells – white blood cells that secrete antibodies – in 48 hours, and consequently accelerates workflow.
“Novartis was an early adopter of the BLI technology and the results from this early work has culminated in the adoption of the Beacon platform,” said BLI.
Novartis joins a number of large pharmaceutical firms to have adopted the technology over the past few months, including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in June, Bayer in September, Daiichi Sankyo in October, Teva Australia in December, and Pfizer earlier this month.
“We’ve been lucky to have good traction from the start, but we have also been hard at work the last year doing a number of feasibility studies which have resulted in purchases and expanded partnerships,” the spokesperson told us.
BLI is currently working with ten of the top 20 biopharmaceutical companies and is exploring new ways to support them, he added.