Creative Biolabs expands single-cell multi-omics for frozen tissues and hidden cell states

Creative Biolabs has expanded its single-cell multi-omics portfolio to help researchers analyze archived frozen tissues and compare RNA with surface protein expression in one workflow. The update is aimed at translational medicine, where dissociation bias and transcript-only readouts can distort results from fragile tissues, tumors and disease samples.

Why it matters: - Archived clinical samples and hard-to-dissociate tissues can now be profiled with less risk of stress-induced artifacts. - The expanded workflow is designed to improve target discovery in areas such as tumor microenvironment research, neurodegenerative disease and antibody-drug conjugate development. - The platform also tackles a common gap in single-cell analysis: mRNA levels do not always match protein abundance.

What happened: - Creative Biolabs announced an expanded single-cell multi-omics portfolio focused on single-cell resolution solutions. - The update adds specialized single-nucleus RNA sequencing for difficult-to-isolate cells. - The portfolio also includes single-cell REAP-seq, or RNA Expression and Protein Sequencing, for combined RNA and protein measurement. - The company says the services are built to help researchers work with fresh, flash-frozen or long-term cryopreserved clinical specimens.

The details: - Single-nucleus RNA sequencing isolates intact nuclei instead of whole cells. - The method avoids enzymatic digestion, which can trigger stress-related gene expression and distort results. - The approach is meant to open access to archived, cryopreserved biobank samples. - Creative Biolabs says the workflow is suitable for large, fragile or morphologically complex cells, including neurons and adipocytes. - REAP-seq uses droplet microfluidics and DNA-barcoded antibodies. - The assay can quantify more than 20,000 genes and up to 100 surface proteins in one workflow. - The multi-omics package is aimed at identifying immune cell exhaustion states, rare progenitor cell types and potential ADC targets. - The company lists biobank compatibility for roughly 100 mg tissue or 5×10⁵ to 1×10⁶ cells. - The service includes end-to-end bioinformatics with t-SNE/UMAP clustering, differential expression volcano plots and marker gene identification dashboards.

Between the lines: - The expansion reflects a push toward more biologically faithful single-cell analysis, especially in samples where preparation can alter the signal. - Combining transcriptomics with proteomics matters because RNA-only data can miss the functional state researchers care about. - The offering appears geared toward scientists who need publication-ready outputs and a faster path from sample to biomarker hypothesis. - A senior scientist at Creative Biolabs said the combined platforms are intended to unlock data previously trapped in frozen tissues and support biomarker discovery in Alzheimer's disease and immuno-oncology.

What's next: - Researchers can use the updated portfolio to profile archived and fragile samples with fewer dissociation-related biases. - Creative Biolabs is positioning the platform for deeper biomarker discovery and target validation in academic and industrial studies. - The company will likely continue emphasizing single-cell and single-nucleus sequencing as core services for translational research.