Takara Bio Europe, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., announces the launch of the Shasta™ Single-Cell System at the 2024 Human Cell Atlas General Meeting.

This cutting-edge, high-throughput NGS solution enables novel biomarker discovery in oncology research. This comprehensive system combines well-validated chemistries with user-friendly bioinformatics tools, allowing researchers to mine more genomic and transcriptomic information from a much greater number of cells than previously possible, all while reducing both time and costs.

Unrivalled throughput

The Shasta system and Shasta Whole-Genome Amplification (WGA) Kit dramatically increase throughput for WGA by processing up to 1,500 cells per run, while current technologies are limited to 384 single cells, and enable the detection of single-cell level CNV events via shallow sequencing. The Shasta Total RNA-Seq Kit is the first high-throughput single-cell total RNA profiling kit to offer full gene body coverage of up to 100,000 cells per run. It is capable of detecting RNA biotypes, such as non-polyadenylated lncRNAs, otherwise missed by current droplet-based technologies. This represents a significant advancement over traditional plate-based full-length RNA-seq and high-throughput mRNA-seq methods.

“We have entered a new era in single-cell analysis, where Shasta technologies overcome previous limitations, enabling detection of critical events such as splicing isoforms, gene fusions, lncRNAs, and segmental CNVs. By enabling true biomarker discovery at scale, we are providing researchers with the confidence and capability to achieve insights that were previously out of reach,” said Matthieu Pesant, PhD, Senior Market Strategy Manager for Translational Genomics at Takara Bio Europe.

About Takara Bio

Takara Bio Europe is a leading manufacturer and supplier of molecular and cellular research reagents and services. With over 25 years of experience, our high-quality, innovative tools help to accelerate translational and clinical discoveries.

Key products include SMART cDNA synthesis kits for a variety of samples and applications, including NGS, high-performance qPCR and PCR reagents (including the Takara Ex Taq®, Takara LA Taq®, Titanium®, and Advantage® enzymes), Cellartis stem cells and stem cell reagents, RT enzymes and SMART library construction kits, the innovative In-Fusion® cloning system, Guide-it gene editing tools, Tet-based inducible gene expression systems, and Living Colors® fluorescent proteins.

Takara Bio’s portfolio supports applications including NGS, gene discovery, regulation, and function studies, as well as genetic analysis, protein expression and purification, gene editing, stem cell studies, and plant and food research. For more information, visit www.takarabio.com.

Takara Bio Inc., a world leader in biotechnology research and development, offers a host of life science research solutions, from enzymes and GMP-grade reagents to contracted cell and gene therapy manufacturing services and is the developer of the RetroNectin® reagent, a world standard in gene therapy protocols. Takara Bio is committed to preventing disease and improving the quality of life for all people through the use of biotechnology.