SHENZHEN, China, 24 August 2022 – MGI Tech Co. Ltd. (MGI), a global life science leader and innovator, has been awarded Gold by Instrument Business Outlook (IBO) at the 2022 IBO Design Awards for the outstanding design and functionality of its DNBelab C4 Pocket Single-Cell Lab.

"MGI is proud to be recognized by IBO for the innovative thinking, as well as consistent and thorough consideration we put into designing the DNBelab C4," shared Yajun Zuo, Product Manager at MGI. "During the design process, we carefully and holistically contemplated the portability, ease-of-use, and family design specifications of the user's needs, while taking into account the accuracy and stability of its product performance. This award is a testament to our hard work and MGI's overall inclusive approach towards product design and innovation."

Published by Strategic Directions International, IBO is a twice-monthly newsletter for the life science and analytical instrument industry. Each year, IBO seeks to recognize innovative and eye catching industrial design of laboratory instruments and equipment. In shining the spotlight on stand-out products, the awards not only highlight an instrument's aesthetics but also how the industrial design contributes to functionality and user experience as well as how it can serve as a marketing tool.

Lauded for its handheld size and streamlined modern appearance, the DNBelab C4 Pocket Single-Cell Lab measures 230 mm long, 42 mm wide and 57 mm high and weighs only about 220 grams – a clear juxtaposition to standard benchtop systems for single-cell NGS sample preparation. The device is a "single cell laboratory that can be packed into a pocket", operating with no power supply required and directly driven by negative pressure. Single cell sorting with barcoding can be done with a one-step pull, reaching a high degree of automation, greatly simplifying user experience and lowering the barrier to single-cell research.

"We developed the system with the intended end market and user base at the forefront of our minds. These are people who may use the C4 for research, clinical applications or drug development, therefore the end result is an intuitive and readily accessible tool at low cost," Zuo elaborated. "By employing microfluidics, the design of the C4 contributes to a shortened turnaround time to accommodate the time-sensitive nature of single-cell or nuclear suspensions. In addition, it is made from ABS plastic which can be recycled or safely disposed of after completion, avoiding contamination of the instrument or different samples."

Besides its superior design, the DNBelab C4 stands out for its reliable and precise performance. The system has demonstrated low multiplet rate, high gene detection sensitivity, and the ability to efficiently capture rare cells. It can currently capture up to 12,000 cells every time with doublet rate of 1-8% and is compatible with two of MGI’s different sequencing systems, DNBSEQ-T7* and DNBSEQ-G400*, to meet the needs of different users. Paired with the ultra-high throughput sequencer DNBSEQ-T7*, the C4 can achieve a throughput of tens of samples per day and obtain 100,000-level cells.

As single-cell sequencing continues to be a hot industry topic, the DNBelab C4 Pocket Single-Cell Lab is revolutionizing single-cell research. At MGI, product design and innovation centers around the user experience and is rooted in a deep and comprehensive understanding of the diverse needs and pain points of its customers. With sequencing applications entering more market segments, MGI is committed to facilitating advances in the industry and bringing more opportunities for rapid growth through the development and introduction of cost-effective, user-friendly products.

About MGI

MGI Tech Co. Ltd. (MGI), headquartered in Shenzhen, is committed to building core tools and technology to lead life science through intelligent innovation. Based on its proprietary technology, MGI focuses on research & development, production and sales of sequencing instruments, reagents, and related products to support life science research, agriculture, precision medicine and healthcare. MGI is a leading producer of clinical high-throughput gene sequencers*, and its multi-omics platforms include genetic sequencing*, medical imaging, and laboratory automation. MGI's mission is to develop and promote advanced life science tools for future healthcare. For more information, please visit MGI Website or connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube.

*Unless otherwise informed, StandardMPS and CoolMPS sequencing reagents, and sequencers for use with such reagents are not available in Germany, Spain, UK, Hong Kong, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Finland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria and Romania. No purchase orders for StandardMPS products will be accepted in the USA until after January 1, 2023.