10x Genomics has unveiled two new preparation products designed to expand the range of samples that are compatible with the company’s single-cell analysis platform.
They include methods to preserve fragile human tissues as well as ways to more easily access frozen samples. The company describes these techniques as a means to unlock the broader scientific adoption of its Chromium analyzers, which profile the genes and proteins expressed by tens of thousands of individual cells at a time.
"We believe the new capabilities we're announcing today will bring the future forward and help realize the expanding potential of single-cell analysis by removing obstacles to larger scale, multi-site studies and enabling broader adoption of single-cell methods in translational research," 10x’s co-founder and chief scientific officer, Ben Hindson, said in a statement.
The two kits are among the first in a line of new products that 10x has planned for 2022, according to Hindson. The launches will support its Chromium devices as well as its Visium and upcoming Xenium platforms for spatial transcriptomics, which study the changes in activity among cells based on their location in tissue.
The first offering aims to fix and suspend short-lived pieces of RNA immediately after they are collected. This would allow samples of cells to be stored for future experiments without relying on potentially harmful freezing methods or cold-chain storage.
Previously, researchers performing single-cell analysis would have to closely coordinate their research with sample collection efforts in order to maintain the viability of the live cells, the company said.
The second product is aimed at researchers dealing with archived tissues that have previously not been sequenced. The kit is designed to isolate the biobanked cells’ nuclei, with only the assistance of a benchtop centrifuge. In the past, examining frozen samples could be a slow and laborious process, involving the sorting and purifying of cell debris from its genetic material. 10x said it plans to launch both kits next month.
The former Fierce 15 winner’s technology has been used to not only observe gene expression on a cell-by-cell basis but to also help uncover entirely new types of cells. Researchers from the Broad Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital uncovered a rare cell in airway tissue that they believe play a key role in cystic fibrosis.
Though they make up only about 1% of the tissue’s cell population, they were found to be responsible for most of the expression of a gene whose mutations have been linked to the disease.
During 2021, the company logged $490.5 million in sales, a 64% increase over its 2020 figures, driven by an installed base of more than 3,500 Chromium instruments. 10x said it expects that rate of growth to slow somewhat this year, growing by a far-from-meager 22% to 28% to between $600 million and $630 million by the end of 2022.