This paid-for advertorial from Sartorius appeared in DDW Volume 26 – Issue 4, Fall 2025

The global health landscape is complex and constantly shifting, presenting multifaceted challenges for the pharmaceutical industry. To keep pace, companies must deliver more targeted therapies in less time, often with fewer resources. Advances in areas such as label-free analysis, high-throughput screening (HTS) by cytometry, and live-cell imaging promise to transform the way new drugs are developed, enabling earlier, more informed choices throughout the development process.   

A singular mission: Simplifying Progress

Analytical tools support pivotal decisions at virtually every stage of drug discovery and process development. But as workflows become more advanced, so do the challenges. Labs face growing pressure to reduce the cost per test, increase throughput, and simplify increasingly complex protocols, all while meeting stringent regulatory expectations. At the same time, emerging drug modalities and assay formats require tools that can adapt. 

“When we think about innovation, we always focus on how we can help scientists shorten the time from the first idea for a drug to the moment it reaches the patient,” says Dr Alexandra Gatzemeyer, Head of the Lab Products and Services division and Executive Board Member at Sartorius. “Our brand promise is ‘Simplifying Progress’, so that scientists can reach confident decisions faster, ultimately translating into better health for more people.” 

Sartorius is committed to delivering integrated analytical solutions and powerful software that reduce complexity and empower labs developing the next generation of life-changing medicines for cancer, neurodegeneration, and beyond. This singular focus has been a catalyst for product innovation, rooted in deep partnerships with researchers, and has led to Sartorius launching three breakthrough instruments this year.  

Expanding the boundaries of label-free biomolecular interaction analysis

Biolayer interferometry (BLI) marks a turning point for high-throughput, label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions due to its revolutionary “dip and read” optical detection technology. It enables real-time analysis without complicated microfluidics. However, BLI systems have historically faced limitations in sensitivity, which restricted their use for low molecular weight analytes or assays involving low-affinity or low-abundance analytes.  

Sartorius addresses this gap with the Octet® R8e, the latest evolution of the platform that first introduced BLI to laboratories over a decade ago. This advanced system enhances signal-to-noise ratios, achieving sensitivity levels once considered exclusive to surface plasmon resonance (SPR).  

Tailored for more demanding applications in drug discovery, process development, and GxP environments, every aspect of this new system has been carefully considered to deliver greater performance, flexible assay design, and longer run times.  

A new enhanced data acquisition feature offers deeper resolution of fast on/off rates, helping scientists better understand rapid binding events that are critical in early-stage screening. While support of small assay volumes and extended run times, along with built-in evaporation control, reflects a focus on resource efficiency, enabling more ambitious assay designs.  

Together, these innovations boost efficiency and productivity in the laboratory, while significantly broadening the range of potential targets, drug modalities, and scientific questions that researchers can approach with BLI.  

Eliminating barriers to HTS by cytometry

Dramatic increases in the speed and multiplexing capabilities of flow cytometry have created a wealth of new possibilities for HTS in antibody discovery, immuno-oncology and targeted therapies. The ability to rapidly interrogate a large number of cellular parameters simultaneously, at single-cell resolution, yields incredibly rich phenotypic data that can accelerate development programs and clinical trials.   

Traditional cytometers were not designed with HTS in mind. High sample volumes, labour-intensive setup, and limited integration with automation have long stood in the way of scaling cytometry-based assays. The Sartorius iQue® 5 HTS by Cytometry Platform addresses this need with instruments specifically engineered to handle the operational demands of modern screening. The new platform represents significant progress in this space, expanding experimental range while further elevating the user experience. A collaborative mindset was key to getting this tall order right.   

“Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation,” emphasises Gatzemeyer. “At Sartorius, innovation is driven by conversations with the scientific community. They help us understand not only what they want to achieve today, but also the challenges and questions they’ll face tomorrow.” 

The iQue 5 builds on the core strengths of the iQue HTS Platform, known for exceptional ease of use and the fastest sample acquisition on the market—capable of screening a 96-well plate in just five minutes. New features, such as clog detection and prevention, remove a common pain point to further enhance operational efficiency.  

From an experimental design perspective, the iQue 5 opens new possibilities with compatibility for both 96- and 384-well assay formats, four lasers, and up to 25 colour channels. This significantly expands multiplexing capacity and allows for greater assay customisation. The integrated Forecyt software simplifies every step of the workflow, from setup to data analysis. New software advancements enable continuous operation for up to 24 hours without manual intervention, streamlining HTS workflows. 

Accelerating translational insights with high-throughput imaging of 3D cell models

Three-dimensional (3D) cell models like spheroids and organoids are becoming essential for drug discovery and translational research to more closely mimic human biology. However, these models are notoriously difficult to culture and monitor, preventing wide adoption. 

Sartorius is removing this barrier through continued innovation. The Incucyte Live-Cell Analysis platform is pioneering in its ability to monitor cells in real time while they remain undisturbed within the controlled environment of the incubator. By combining unmatched throughput, optimised assay kits, and powerful, user-friendly software, these systems are making complex kinetic studies more accessible to more scientists.   

The new Incucyte® CX3 system introduces new confocal imaging that minimises photobleaching and phototoxicity effects, producing clear images of complex, multi-cellular 3D models as they grow, mature, and respond to treatments. Easy switching between imaging modes, including spinning disk confocal, wide-field fluorescence, HD phase, and brightfield, allow for standardised and physiologically relevant studies of both 2D and 3D cultures.  

Throughput flexibility extends what is possible on the Incucyte CX3. Parallel processing of up to six 96-well plates allows evaluation of multiple cell models, treatment conditions, dose-response curves and controls simultaneously, reducing variability. The Incucyte AI Cell Health Software Module features intelligent AI-driven software that reduces the effort and time required to obtain deeper insights and generate publication-ready graphs, all without the need to be an expert in image analysis. 

From sample preparation to dynamic data acquisition and analysis, the entire workflow is fully integrated for a seamless experience, so scientists can focus on the biology, not the technology. 

Partnering for a better future

With a wealth of expertise and a 155-year legacy of bold innovation, Sartorius leads by listening and working closely with the scientific community to understand their needs and challenges. This commitment to collaboration has inspired ground-breaking technologies that drive discovery in research and pharmaceutical labs around the world. Advancing science and building a healthier future isn’t a solo effort—we’re in this together, simplifying progress. 

To explore the instruments or learn how Sartorius is advancing global health through partnership, visit sartorius.com/in-this-together 

From DDW Volume 26 – Issue 4, Fall 2025 – Read the digital issue