BD Marks 1,000th BD Rhapsody System, Driving Scientific Breakthroughs via Single-Cell Multiomics
September 17th, 2025
BD, a leading global medical technology company, announced the placement of the 1,000th BD Rhapsody™ System, a flagship instrument for single-cell multiomics analysis, at Addenbrooke’s Hospital of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Together with its comprehensive menu of assays for DNA, RNA, and protein analysis, the instrument enables scientists to capture deeper insights from hundreds of thousands of single cells at a time.
“Our research focuses on understanding the signaling pathways of immune cells and their role in driving inflammation in patients in intensive care,” said Dr. Andrew Conway Morris, associate professor of anesthesia, Addenbrooke’s Hospital of the University of Cambridge. “With the BD Rhapsody™ System, we can now analyze multiomic data in a streamlined workflow, enabling us to decipher the biological mechanisms at the single-cell level with resolution previously not possible – our ultimate goal being to translate these research findings into treatments that can improve outcomes for critically ill patients.”
Since the BD Rhapsody™ instrument was introduced in 2017, it has been cited in more than 700 publications in peer-reviewed journals. The latest version, which launched in 2023, allows flexible sample processing and cell capture using a gentle, robust microwell-based cartridge technology, and proprietary BD molecular indexing technology. The captured cellular information is used to generate various types of libraries for next-generation sequencing applications, accelerating time to insight. The BD Rhapsody™ System is uniquely positioned in the cell sorting and analysis workflow with flow cytometry instruments, including the BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter and A8 Cell Analyzer.
“This milestone is a reflection of the critical customer need for a single-cell platform that can offer the right balance of high-performing multiomic assays, without compromising data quality, at the most affordable cost per cell,” said Ranga Partha, PhD, VP of global marketing and strategic growth areas, BD Biosciences. “The rapid adoption of the BD Rhapsody™ System is a testament to the fast-evolving scientific need for one complete end-to-end portfolio of single-cell multiomics instruments, reagents, assays, and bioinformatic tools that also work seamlessly alongside leading cell sorters and analyzers.”
Innovation around the BD Rhapsody™ System and its workflows continues with upcoming launches:
- BD OMICS-One™ WTA Next Assay is now available for early-access customers, enabling researchers to unlock more genetic information from individual cells at a lower cost-per-cell basis
- BD® OMICS-Guard Cryo will be available this year, enabling researchers to preserve samples for extended periods of time, allowing for batching of analysis
- Robust automation is in development to further standardize and speed workflows
The research of Dr. Andrew Conway Morris is funded by the Medical Research Council, LifeArc, and Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.
The BD Rhapsody™ System will be featured at the following: Booth 447 at the 2025 Annual Meeting of American Society of Human Genetics (October 14-18 in Boston), and presentations at Advancing Precision Medicine (October 3-4 in Philadelphia).
Learn more about the BD Rhapsody™ HT Xpress System.