Cell Mimic FAQ
What are Slingshot Biosciences cell mimics?
Slingshot’s cell mimics are polymer-based synthetic particles engineered to replicate key physical and biological characteristics of real cells, such as size, granularity, fluorescence, and biomarker expression.
How are cell mimics different from polystyrene beads or traditional biological controls?
Unlike beads, cell mimics match cellular scatter and staining behavior, and unlike donor cells, they are shelf-stable, non-biohazardous, and highly reproducible from lot to lot.
What applications are cell mimics designed for?
They are used for flow cytometry assay development, immunophenotyping, rare biomarker detection, instrument calibration, cell therapy QC, and diagnostic workflows.
How do cell mimics improve assay reproducibility?
They provide tight lot-to-lot consistency, long-term stability, and standardized expression levels, which reduces variability across sites, instruments, and time.
Can cell mimics support rare biomarker and low-frequency population detection?
Yes, mimics can be engineered for rare biomarkers or phenotypes where commercial controls don’t exist, enabling validation of rare-event and sensitivity (LOD/LOQ) studies.
Are cell mimics suitable for regulated and clinical workflows?
Their stability and reproducibility make them suitable as controls in clinical trials, cell therapy manufacturing, and assay validation packages used for regulatory submissions.
How are cell mimics used in flow cytometry workflows?
They are run like normal samples: stained with antibodies, used as compensation or calibration controls, incorporated into QC panels, and tracked over time to monitor assay and instrument performance.