Cytek Biosciences has introduced a new seven-laser Borealis flow cytometer and updated configurations for its Aurora Evo system, extending its spectral flow cytometry product line.
The Borealis is a full-spectrum flow cytometer with 120 detectors, including 110 fluorescence and 10 scatter detectors, across seven laser lines. It adds Deep Ultraviolet and Infrared lasers, broadening the range of detectable signals and supporting development of 60-colour panels.
Cytek has also made Deep Ultraviolet and Infrared cFluor reagents available for custom panel design and evaluation through an early access programme. The reagents were developed for use with the Borealis system to match its expanded optical set-up.
Alongside the Borealis launch, Cytek outlined changes to the Aurora Evo platform for laboratories seeking to connect flow cytometry with automated systems. The new configurations add hardware features and software API integrations designed to link the instrument with robotic plate handling systems and third-party scheduling platforms.
Aurora Evo already includes higher flow rates and automated start-up and shut-down functions. The latest changes are intended to reduce manual steps in large-scale workflows and support use in automated laboratory settings.
New instrument
Borealis broadens Cytek's range beyond standard spectral flow cytometry. The instrument combines full-spectrum flow cytometry with planned cellular imaging functions in a single system, drawing on imaging assets acquired through Luminex ImageStream.
This approach is intended to give researchers both spectral detection and imaging from one sample. The combined format is designed to provide a broader view of cellular behaviour and structure.
Cytek linked the launch to demand for higher-parameter analysis in research settings. It said its Full Spectrum Profiling technology has been used in more than 3,900 peer-reviewed publications, which it cited as a measure of uptake among researchers.
Automation focus
The Aurora Evo changes target laboratories running larger studies, including biopharma groups and contract research organisations. In those settings, instrument integration, reproducibility and throughput can play a central role in study design and laboratory operations.
By adding support for robotic plate handling and third-party scheduling systems, Cytek aims to make Aurora Evo easier to integrate into automated laboratory workflows. That could help users standardise repeated tasks and handle larger sample volumes with less direct operator input.
The update also reflects a broader shift in life sciences tools towards connected instruments managed as part of a wider automated process. Flow cytometry has historically involved significant manual preparation and instrument handling, so suppliers have increasingly focused on reducing those steps.
Broader portfolio
Cytek is based in Fremont, California, and sells a range of cell analysis products. Its portfolio includes the Aurora, Northern Lights, Aurora CS and Aurora Evo systems, as well as instruments and imaging products under the Amnis and Guava brands.
The company positions spectral flow cytometry as a way to gather data across the full fluorescent spectrum rather than through more limited signal capture. The approach has become more widely used in research as scientists seek to analyse more markers at the same time from a single sample.
For Cytek, the Borealis launch places greater emphasis on the upper end of multiplexed analysis, where laboratories are trying to distinguish an increasing number of signals in a single experiment. The addition of Deep Ultraviolet and Infrared lasers expands the available spectral range and creates more room for complex panel design.
Commercially, the move also gives the company an opportunity to tie instruments and reagents more closely together. By releasing new cFluor dyes alongside the instrument, Cytek is pairing hardware and consumables around the same optical design.
Wenbin Jiang, Chief Executive Officer of Cytek Biosciences, described the launch as part of the company's effort to extend the scope of cell analysis. "We're excited to be part of CYTO 2026, where the flow cytometry community comes together to explore new ideas and emerging technologies," Jiang said.
He added: "Our latest innovations reflect a continued commitment to expanding what is possible, delivering solutions that help researchers generate deeper insights from one sample with greater efficiency and confidence."