New partnership combines Factorial’s in-cell library preparation chemistry with Honeycomb’s HIVE™ platform to enable scalable single-cell WGS workflow with processing capacity up to 1 million cells per day.

Factorial Biotechnologies, a leader in next-generation single-cell sequencing solutions, and Honeycomb Biotechnologies, a pioneer in instrument-free single-cell analysis, today announced a strategic partnership to deliver a flexible and scalable single-cell genomics workflow. The collaboration integrates Factorial’s proprietary in-cell library preparation technology with Honeycomb’s proven HIVE platform, enabling researchers to perform high-throughput single-cell DNA sequencing without specialized instrumentation.

The combined solution offers researchers an accessible pathway to single-cell whole genome sequencing (WGS) with optional hybrid capture target enrichment, now available for beta testing. The companies are also developing a multi-omics protocol capable of simultaneously analyzing DNA, RNA, and protein from individual cells. This instrument-free workflow closely resembles standard bulk NGS protocols, significantly lowering barriers to adoption while maintaining the resolution and data quality required for cutting-edge research.

“What excites me most about this partnership is combining Factorial’s scalable library prep chemistries with an elegant and robust cell partitioning solution,” said John Wells, Founder and CEO of Factorial Biotechnologies. “Honeycomb brings an instrument-free platform that’s already been manufactured and shipped internationally, combined with a decade of knowledge acquired from taking the HIVE from invention through commercialization.”

The partnership addresses a critical need in single-cell genomics: balancing throughput, resolution, and accessibility. Incumbent single-cell DNA sequencing methods sacrifice genomic coverage for throughput or vice versa. By combining Factorial’s extraction-free library preparation chemistry with Honeycomb’s cell barcoding technology, the integrated solution enables researchers to process up to 1 million cells per day using standard laboratory equipment and workflows.

“Honeycomb has always been interested in expanding beyond single-cell RNA sequencing,” said Jim Flanigon, CEO of Honeycomb Biotechnologies. “We are thrilled to be working with Factorial and to extend the capabilities of the HIVE.”

The HIVE platform has gained recognition for its portable, handheld device that enables gentle capture, RNA stabilization, and processing of fragile cell types without specialized instrumentation. By integrating Factorial’s in-cell library preparation technology, researchers can now extend these capabilities to comprehensive single-cell DNA analysis and multi-omic profiling.

“Extending the HIVE platform to instrument-free single-cell DNA sequencing will accelerate discoveries in somatic mosaicism, tumor evolution, and gene editing by enabling large-scale, single-cell genomic studies,” added Chris Love, Co-Founder of Honeycomb Biotechnologies and Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Koch Institute at MIT.

The collaboration reflects both companies’ visions of removing technical constraints that limit scientific inquiry and broadens the aperture for genomic content available at single-cell resolution.

Source – PR Newswire