Cytocentrics

About Cytocentrics

Cytocentrics is a biotechnology firm established in 2001, specializing in ion channel research for the pharmaceutical industry. The company provides comprehensive automated patch clamp solutions designed to streamline research and screening processes, leading to significant time and cost savings for its clients. Its business model encompasses the sale of specialized equipment, consumable kits, and outsourced contract research services conducted at its laboratory facilities in Germany.

The company’s core offering is the CytoPatch™, a modular instrument for fully automated patch clamping, a technique for characterizing ion channels. This system is notable for its ability to combine the high-quality data of manual patch clamping with the efficiency of complete automation. Each unit is self-contained with its own amplifier and perfusion system, yet can be integrated into a larger multi-unit setup for higher throughput. To complement its instrumentation, Cytocentrics supplies 'Instant Cells' kits, which are ready-to-use, stable, transfected cell lines, further simplifying the drug discovery workflow. For clients who prefer to outsource, the company offers a range of ion channel screening services, including routine assays, custom assay development, and safety screening.

In addition to its patch clamp focus, Cytocentrics has extensive experience in developing and producing wafer-based thin-film microsystems. This expertise covers design consultancy, prototyping, and larger-scale production of microfluidics and micro-filtration products for single-cell analysis. The firm serves a diverse client base across the life science, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and food industries. A significant development in the company's history was its rebranding to CytoBioscience in December 2016 to reflect an expanded focus into broader bioscience applications, including research related to cancer and diabetes, and a move of its headquarters and manufacturing to San Antonio, Texas, in 2015.