Rapolas Žilionis, PhD, CSO of Atrandi Biosciences, outlined a new approach to multimodal single-cell analysis, positioning integration and scalability as the next frontier in the field.
Atrandi’s core innovation lies in its Semi-Permeable Capsule (SPC) technology – microcapsules with a liquid core enclosed by a thin, crosslinked hydrogel shell with size-selective permeability. Small molecules such as salts, buffers, enzymes, and primers diffuse freely across the shell; cells and genomic DNA remain contained. This architecture allows researchers to wash, exchange reagents, and run sequential reactions, including chemically incompatible ones, while preserving single-cell identity throughout, combining the flexibility of well-based workflows with the throughput of droplet systems. The result is a high-throughput, multi-step biochemical reactions at single-cell resolution, supporting the simultaneous profiling of DNA and RNA from the same cells.
A central challenge in the field, as Žilionis sees it, is the integration of multiple molecular modalities – historically constrained by incompatible reaction formats and limited workflow flexibility. By enabling sequential and combinatorial reactions within a single encapsulated environment, Atrandi’s SPC technology simplifies the generation of paired multiomic readouts, improving both data quality and interpretability.
Žilionis also highlighted a less visible but critical bottleneck: the absence of necessary readouts to answer emerging biological questions. In his view, researchers are often not limited by their analytical tools, but by their inability to measure specific molecular features at single-cell resolution, particularly when linking genetic variation to functional outcomes.
Looking ahead, Žilionis sees the convergence of single-cell and spatial technologies as one of the most significant developments on the horizon, offering a more complete view of cellular behaviour within tissue context. Declining sequencing costs are also opening new applications, including scalable single-cell whole genome sequencing, further expanding the scope of multimodal analysis.
Žilionis emphasised that progress will depend on aligning technological innovation with unmet biological questions, and on building the cross-disciplinary connections that make that alignment possible. Platforms that combine workflow flexibility with high-throughput multimodal readouts are well placed to support the next-generation cellular and molecular research.
