The SemaCyte® Platform

Adherent cells are the cornerstone of drug discovery research. These cell types need to be attached to a surface or substrate which drastically reduces workflow flexibility, requires high numbers of cells-per-assay, and leads to batch variability.

Our solution is simple. Keep colonies of cells attached to a flat surface, but bring this surface into suspension. This is possible with our SemaCytes. These mobile islands carry adherent cells and function as ultra-miniaturized, steerable wells to produce better data, faster.

Enabling More Powerful Workflows

Move and freeze cells
while retaining their
adherent morphology

Increase assay flexibility,
throughput, and reliability

e.g. adherent assay-ready cells for rapid design-make-test-analyse cycles

Multiplex multiple cell
types in a single well
with optical barcodes

Reduce the time andcost for
screening large cell panels

e.g. multiplexing cell models for rapid drug positioning and profiling

Place less cells per well
while still retaining
high local confluency

Reduce the amount of adherent
cells per assay by 5- to 50-fold

e.g. ultra-miniaturize assays with primary cell materials in 96- or 384-well plates
We are developing a suite of products and partnering to provide bespoke solutions for cell screening challenges.

Seamless Integration with Workflows

SemaCytes are created with microfabrication technologies, combining nanomagnetism, smart materials, and surface engineering.

Cell seeding can be done as usual by simply pipetting cells on arrays of immobilised SemaCytes.

Once the correct confluency and morphology is achieved, the SemaCytes are released into suspension for direct use or cryopreservation.

Cell-containing SemaCytes are dispensed into a well plate for screening assays involving plate readers or microscopes.

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SemaCytes are magnetically controlled, but do not interact with each other.

Resources

SemaCyte® Microcarriers for Multi-Day Drug Sensitivity Assays

Applications
Assay-ready A549 seeding shuttles for multi-day drug sensitivity assays against Nutlin-3A and Trametinib
Download resource

Protocol for the Preparation and Use of SemaCytes

Platform
Overview of how to generate and use SemaCytes for standard cell assays
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SemaCyte® Microcarriers for Assay-Ready Adherent Cells

Applications
Multicentre evaluation of adherent cells frozen on SemaCytes for rapid assays
Download resource