Lightcast Discovery unveils benchtop platform at Boston summit

As part of the limited release, Lightcast is working closely with leading pharmaceutical and academic institutions to validate performance, optimise protocols, and expand application areas, all in preparation for the launch of a diverse array of validated protocols later in 2025.

The complete Envisia workflow will include advanced instrumentation, intelligent software, a purpose-built cartridge system, and assay kits optimized to a broad array of functional applications. The fully automated, end-to-end workflows will support a wide range of cell types, assay formats, and research applications.

Lightcast Discovery aims to unleash new capabilities within the single-cell analysis field by developing a more accessible, scalable, and flexible platform for scientists in basic, translational, and applied research. It has invented a technology that uses rays of light to control picoliter-scale droplets for functional analysis of individual cells.

Paul Loeffen, CEO of Lightcast said: “The Lightcast team is excited to introduce Envisia to the scientific community at PEGS Boston and to highlight the cutting-edge work being done by our pharmaceutical and academic collaborators.

“This limited product release marks a major milestone as we shift from technology development to customer-driven deployment. Researchers can secure their place now to gain a first-mover advantage and access to unprecedented functional insights that will power the next wave of innovative biologics and therapies.”

While traditional single-cell analysis techniques often rely on genomic data to infer function, the Envisia platform uses droplet microfluidics to perform highly controlled, sequential single-cell functional assays that capture rich functional data sets to improve decision making.

Built around Lightcast’s proprietary light-controlled droplet manipulation technology, the platform enables parallel interrogation of tens of thousands of picoliter-scale droplets, offering unmatched precision and flexibility. By integrating functional screening early in the antibody discovery process, the Envisia platform allows researchers to select and advance the most promising candidates.

It also opens new possibilities in cell-cell interaction studies and broader applications in immunology and oncology.