BD Launches BD FACSymphony High-Speed Cell Analyzer

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) has launched the BD FACSymphony system, a cell analyzer enabling the simultaneous measurement of up to 50 different characteristics of a single cell.

The BD FACSymphony concept was the result of an ongoing collaboration between BD and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to co-create new technologies that perform high-content, high-throughput measurements on individual cells.

Following two years of benchtop development, NIH has begun using the BD FACSymphony system to enable ongoing sophisticated research at NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center (VRC) to accelerate discovery and continue developing its understanding of the immune system.

“Our Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the NIH is a prime example of how public-private partnerships foster innovation,” said Linda Tharby, executive vice president and president of BD Life Sciences. “We are looking forward to continuing this relationship to learn how we can continue to support advances in the scientific community in the future.”

Compared to alternative cell analysis systems, the BD FACSymphony instrument offers high-speed analysis with detection rates of up to 40,000 events per second, a 20-fold advantage over other non-flow platforms. This advanced platform features an ultra-quiet electronics system adapted from the defense industry that improves detection sensitivity to enable the identification and analysis of rare cell types and events. In addition, the instrument has configurable options to fully leverage the broad portfolio of BD Horizon Brilliant reagents. These capabilities allow researchers to conduct deep phenotyping and gain richer scientific insights. Researchers are also able to take advantage of limited samples by collecting maximal information in a single experiment.

“We are very excited about this revolutionary offering that will change the way we pursue the understanding of individual cells and their environment,” said Claude Dartiguelongue, worldwide president of Biosciences for BD. “We believe the unparalleled capabilities of this groundbreaking technology will impact a broad range of research disciplines and ultimately lead to better clinical diagnostics and therapeutic decisions.”

BD’s portfolio of instruments, reagents and services provide a complete research solution to address the needs of immunologists and other researchers adopting flow cytometry to complement adjacent technologies and workflows. BD’s portfolio of research analyzers and cell sorters, spanning from entry-level systems to this new advanced BD FACSymphony analyzer, exemplifies the company’s commitment to democratize flow cytometry across the spectrum of research applications.

The Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based company provides innovative solutions that help advance medical research and genomics, enhance the diagnosis of infectious disease and cancer, improve medication management, promote infection prevention, equip surgical and interventional procedures, optimize respiratory care and support the management of diabetes.