The company has innovated a new cell mimic product that scatters and fluoresces with unmatched accuracy in compensation, viability, and spectral unmixing, all in a single vial.
EMERYVILLE, Calif., August 17, 2026 — Slingshot Bio, which invented precision-engineered synthetic cell mimics for flow cytometry controls, today launched ViaComp® Ultra™ XT, the first cell mimic to combine compensation and spectral unmixing with viability assessment in a single product.
Spectral flow cytometry is rapidly becoming
the new standard in cell analysis, with technology advancements regularly
achieving panel sizes beyond 40 colors. This new technology has dramatically
demonstrated the limitations of antiquated products based on polystyrene
chemistry. Polystyrene and other plastic-like derivatives significantly
diverge from biologic cell behaviors under spectral analysis and cannot bind
viability dyes, virtually eliminating any potential to determine cell health.
On the other hand, the fragility and inconsistency of biological controls has
long been one of the major causes of the reproducibility crises that plagues
collaborative scientific endeavors around the world. As instrument technology
continues to advance, the gap between instruments’ capabilities and the
inconsistent results produced by biologics and plastics will widen
significantly.
ViaComp Ultra XT replaces polystyrene beads
and biologic controls with hydrogel cell mimics that behave like cells in the
cytometer but deliver the stability and consistency of synthetic reagents. The
product binds fixable amine-reactive or DNA-intercalating viability dyes. It
captures the true emission signatures of fluorophore-conjugated antibodies,
including species-specific antibodies from mouse, rat, hamster, rabbit, and
human. Slingshot has achieved another innovative benchmark by consolidating
these widely used assay controls into one product vial, manufactured to
ISO17025 reference material standards that ensure industry-leading quality in
parallel with exceptional performance across all flow cytometer instruments.
Key features include:
-
A convenient vial with a dropper contains a pre‑mixed suspension of
positive and negative control particles that generate clear, well‑separated peaks for all the fluorophores in your
panel. -
Antibody capture for most common species, for true
and accurate fluorophore signatures in spectral analysis, including complex
tandem and polymer dyes -
Amine-reactive and DNA-intercalating versions to
match viability dye chemistry -
No titration, no prep, no viability cultures;
stable, non-hazardous, stored at 4 °C.
"For over 70 years, labs have been managing
three fragile and limited controls to set up an assay panel, only to achieve
highly variable and compromised results. Those days are finally behind
us," said Glenn Bilawsky, Chief Executive Officer of Slingshot Bio.
"ViaComp Ultra XT is the first cell mimic to bring compensation, unmixing,
and viability into a single vial. Multifunctionality, quality, performance, and
efficiency at a dramatically reduced overall cost are finally available to the
global research community.”
Available in 25- and 100-test sizes, shipping
now. Learn more at www.slingshotbio.com.
About Slingshot Biosciences
Slingshot Bio invented precision-engineered
synthetic cell mimics for flow cytometry controls: manufactured, shelf-stable
particles that reproduce the scatter and biomarker signatures of real cells,
with the one thing biology can't guarantee: reproducibility. Founded in 2012
and headquartered in Emeryville, California, with thousands of flow
cytometrists across the globe using its cell mimic products, Slingshot replaces
the variable, perishable, and subpar reference materials that inhibit flow
cytometry analysis with products manufactured under the highest quality
standards and delivering unmatched performance. Cell therapy, drug development,
diagnostics, and instrument manufacturers worldwide have adopted Slingshot Bio
flow cytometry controls. Learn more at slingshotbio.com.
Media Contact:
Josh Haydon, Head of Marketing, marketing@slingshotbio.com
