Unlocking live single-cell functional insights
insights from industryVikram DevganVP, Global Marketing & Product ManagementBruker Cellular AnalysisNewsMedical and Vikram Devgan discuss how Bruker is advancing live single-cell functional analysis, helping to accelerate breakthroughs in immunology and beyond.
How has single-cell research evolved over the past two decades?
Over the past 20 years, single-cell research has evolved from identifying cell types using flow cytometry to uncovering molecular heterogeneity through single-cell multiomics and, more recently, understanding tissue context with spatial biology.
Now, the field is shifting toward function, revealing what cells actually do, like secreting biomolecules, killing target cells, or interacting with neighbors in real time. This is the new frontier, and it’s exactly where Bruker Cellular Analysis is focused.
Can you introduce Bruker Cellular Analysis and your mission in the life sciences space?
At Bruker Cellular Analysis, our mission is to enable researchers to go beyond static snapshots of cellular identity and into dynamic cellular behavior. We focus on functional analysis of live single cells in real time.
Our platforms, powered by proprietary optofluidic technology, help scientists explore multimodal and temporal cellular responses. We support critical applications like immune profiling, cell therapy development, antibody discovery, and antibody profiling. With the launch of Beacon Discovery™, we’re expanding access to these deep insights through an accessible, compact, and cost-effective platform.
Image Credit: Bruker Cellular Analysis
What inspired the development of Beacon Discovery™?
Our existing Beacon® platforms were designed for large-scale biopharma use, but we heard a clear need from researchers in academic and translational settings: they wanted the same depth of functional insight, but in a more flexible, benchtop format.
Beacon Discovery™ was built to meet that need.
It delivers the deepest functional insights from live single cells, in a footprint, price point and running cost that makes it broadly accessible. It offers exquisite control, supports custom workflows, and comes with an intuitive interface, making it easier than ever to design and run complex functional experiments.
Why is live functional analysis so important for today’s researchers?
Traditional single-cell platforms mostly tell you what a cell is expressing, such as genes and proteins. But they don’t show you what the cell actually does. In areas like immuno-oncology, infectious disease, autoimmune disease, and regenerative medicine, function matters. Does a T cell kill a target? Is it polyfunctional? Does a B cell secrete a potent, specific antibody? Is a cell actively interacting with others or responding to a stimulus?
Beacon Discovery gives researchers the tools to ask and answer those questions in real time by running multiple sequential assays on the same single cells across multiple time points. It’s no longer enough to study cells in a static state. Biology is dynamic, and our tools should be, too.
What kinds of research workflows does Beacon Discovery support?
We are seeing exciting work in T cell profiling and cell therapy development all the way from CAR/TCR discovery to pre-clinical testing and validation to translational biomarker discovery. Researchers are running multiple functional assays to characterize cytotoxic activity, cytokine secretion, activation, exhaustion, and persistence, all from the same live single cells, then following up with TCR sequencing on the same cells.
Beacon Discovery truly shines in antibody discovery. Scientists can screen thousands of B cells from diverse compartments and species, without fusion, assessing traits like specificity, affinity, cross-reactivity, blocking, internalization, and agonism. It is a complete, function-first workflow that dramatically reduces time to lead candidates and improves candidate quality.
How does Beacon Discovery technically enable this functional view?
It all starts with our Opto-Electrical Positioning (OEP) technology, which gently moves single live cells into NanoPens on an OptoSelect® chip. Researchers then run multiplexed, sequential assays, like cytokine secretion, cell killing, or target engagement, on the same cell over time. Once a cell of interest is identified, it can be exported for sequencing, linking function to molecular identity.
This is how we also deliver rapid, functional B cell profiling. With Beacon Discovery, researchers get functional screening of B cells done in a day, antibody sequences in a week and lead candidates in under a month, all while carrying fewer non-performers.
Image Credit: Bruker Cellular Analysis
What sets Beacon Discovery apart from other antibody discovery platforms on the market?
There are three advantages to the system that help to set it apart from others on the market:
- Breadth and depth of functional screening – We support diverse B cell sources across species and tissues, without needing cell fusion, and we offer high-throughput capabilities.
- Assay quality matters – Beacon Discovery supports multiplexed, multimodal, function-first assays. That means you are not just identifying binders, you are finding blockers, agonists, and real functional leads.
- Efficiency – The platform streamlines timelines and cuts costs, delivering one-day workflows, full sequences in a week, and lead candidates in under a month. With fewer false positives, teams can make faster, more confident go/no-go decisions.
How do researchers interact with the system day-to-day? Is it approachable for non-engineers or non-programmers?
Absolutely. We built Beacon Discovery with usability in mind. The interface includes a wizard-style Workflow Builder to help design multistep experiments in just a few clicks. Our Cell Analysis Software Suite allows for real-time data exploration, image-based analysis, and functional mapping like UMAPs.
Whether you’re a Ph.D. student or a seasoned immunologist, you can quickly design experiments, analyze data, and make decisions. That simplicity was a deliberate design goal.
What impact do you hope Beacon Discovery will have in the next few years?
We believe Beacon Discovery will catalyze a major shift in how the scientific community approaches single-cell analysis: from identity to function. By making it easier to run rich, functional assays on live single cells, we are helping researchers get better insights faster, whether they are identifying potent T cells, discovering therapeutic antibodies, or uncovering new biomarkers.
This is the platform that empowers researchers to experience the full potential of live single-cell functional analysis, unlocking the biological insights that static methods cannot reveal.
About the Speaker
Vikram Devgan, PhD, is the Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Management at Bruker Cellular Analysis. He oversees the strategic direction and commercialization of cutting-edge single-cell technologies, including the Beacon® platform. Thanks to his robust background in life sciences marketing and product strategy, Vikram has consistently emphasized the integration of functional insights with molecular data to drive progress in therapeutic discovery.
About Bruker Cellular Analysis
Bruker Cellular Analysis is empowering scientists to leverage the full potential of each cell and drive the next era of functional cell biology to advance human health. We enable scientists to reveal the most complete insights on cell function and obtain a full view of the behavior of each cell.
Our unique suite of proven high-throughput tools and services offer unparalleled resolution and speed, accelerating the insights that are key to advancing discoveries that can profoundly improve the prevention and treatment of disease. Our award winning platforms are used by researchers across the globe, including those at the top 15 global pharmaceutical companies and approximately 85% of leading U.S. comprehensive cancer centers.
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