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Emmet

Emmet is an intelligent machine that automates your TC flask cell culture workflows.

With a unified hardware and software stack in a single bench-top instrument, Emmet brings physical AI to the tissue culture lab.

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Emmet
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Emmet fits your needs

Standardize, streamline, and scale your cell culture workflows.

Reclaim your weekend

No more weekend work! What more could you want?

Reduce variability

Say goodbye to operator and batch-to-batch variability.

Elevate your science

Culture up to 18 cell lines or protocols in parallel.

Unlimited potential

Supports any media, coating, cell line and protocol.

Emmet standardises and automates the culture of any cell type.

Coating
Seeding
Feeding
Sampling
Passaging
Differentiation
Harvesting

Minimize setup time and contamination risks

1

Sterile enclosure:

Emmet is designed to operate outside of a Class II safety cabinet or TC hood with an aseptically closed fluid management system and patented fluid connectors that enable automated sterile fluid transfer and minimizes contamination risks.

2

‍Incubator:

Emmet's gas-controlled incubator has an adaptive process control system; you define optimal parameters (e.g., temperature, atmospheric CO₂, gas composition), and Emmet maintains them to keep your cells healthy & happy.

3

Touchscreen interface:

Are you tired of squinting at tiny screens? We were. That's why we included a 14-inch, easy-to-view touchscreen that anyone can use to interface with Emmet.

4

Refrigerator:

Emmet's has an onboard refrigerator for reagent storage. It makes set-up a breeze (say goodbye to changing bags of media every day!) and mitigates thermocycling-related degradation of your non-thermal-stable factors and reagents.

Culture multiple cell lines in one instrument

1

Rocking platform & cell culture vessels:

Emmet's rocking platform enables homogenous fluid distribution across an entire flask. With room for up to 18 flasks of any size, you can culture up to 18 cell lines simultaneously, perform 18 parallel conditions tests, or bulk up a single cell line for banking or manufacture.

2

‍Reagent storage:

The refrigerator holds up to 12 500mL bottles of media, and our patented aseptic connectors turn what was formerly a 30-minute tube weld into a < 30-second setup.

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3

Fluid management:

Say goodbye to managing endless tubes. Our patented cartridge-based fluidics system puts an entire fluid manifold in a machined block that fits in your hand, saving space and making set-up as easy as placing a pod in a coffee machine.

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4

In-line analytics:

In-line metabolic sensors bring bioreactor-level of analysis to Emmet, giving you unprecedented insight into how your cell culture is performing in real time. Reach out to learn more about the additional on-board analytical systems we're developing.

Stem cell expansion
Differentiations
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Stem cell expansion

Emmet standaridses and streamlines ES/iPSC expansion with fully automated media changes, passaging, and harvesting. Spend less time feeding and banking cells, and more time pushing the frontiers of scientific knowledge.

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Differentiations

Emmet standardizes the differentiation protocols. Say goodbye to human error and tedious media exchanges and hello to 24/7 automation, enabling you to perform DOE style conditions testing and to develop robust, entirely novel protocols.

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Frequently asked questions

Here are some answers to the most common questions we get asked about Emmet.
What is Emmet, and what can it do?

Emmet is an intelligent machine designed to close, automate, and scale mammalian cell culture workflows, specifically TC flask-based protocols.

Think of Emmet as an incubator, TC hood, refrigerator, process monitoring system, and cell culture technician, all in one machine (e.g., a unified hardware and software stack in a single instrument footprint). That isn't the size of a Volkswagen and fits on a bench in any lab.

Emmet standardizes and automates cell culture workflows, including seeding, media exchange/perfusion, passaging, differentiation, and harvesting.

With Emmet, you can spend less time moving liquids between flasks and more time designing and analyzing experiments (and enjoying your weekends!)

What cell types can Emmet culture?

Any mammalian cell type: hES/hiPSCs, MSCs, fibroblasts, cell lines, HEK & CHO producer cells, primary cells, organoids, 2D/3D cell line models, animal (stem) cell lines, and beyond. In either adherent or suspension culture conditions.

We’ve demonstrated that Emmet can reliably expand iPSCs and generate differentiated progeny in both adherent and suspension processes.

In our experience, many manual operators struggle to do so, even with years of training.

Emmet, however, is already trained in cell culture and is ready to join your team today.

What cell culture vessels and cartridges does Emmet support?

Emmet is compatible with any commercially available tissue culture (TC) flask: T25, T75 & T225.

TC flasks can be plasma-treated (anchorage-dependent culture) or non-treated (suspension-adapted culture).

We are actively developing:

    1) parallelized, closed fluidic cartridges to support adherent culture based scale up of autologous and allogeneic therapeutics.

    2) dedicated suspension cell culture vessels for scale-down, multiplexed experiments.

    3) custom cell culture cartridges to integrate with well pates and other lab-scale plasticware.

Can I culture multiple cell lines in Emmet?

Yes, you can culture up to 18 cell lines or protocols in parallel.

Reach out to learn more about Emmet's clearing system to prevent cross-contamination.

What is the fluidic management system, and how many inputs can it support?

Emmet uses a machined cartridge-based manifold for fluid management.

Fluid control cartridges have a membrane on top of individual valves machined into a cartridge. To actuate a valve and create fluid pathways, the membrane is pushed down (using positive/air pressure) and pulled up (using negative/vacuum) pressure to open/close valves. This allows fluid to be routed from any point to point in the system.

Emmet accommodates up to seven (7) unique reagents or fluid inputs at a time. More fluid inputs can be achieved, but each additional input reduces the total number of flasks supported (e.g., 7+5 = 12 inputs supports a maximum of 18-5 = 13 TC flasks).

Can parameters like the 'harshness' of the rocker be adjusted?

Yes, almost all process parameters can be modulated for experimental iteration.

Specifically, the length of the rocking arc (i.e., how far the rocking platform moves in the X or Y axis), the speed at which the motors drive the platform (i.e., how fast it accelerates & decelerates), and the movement pattern can all be modified

Does Emmet have imaging or cell counting capabilities?

Onboard, fully automated imaging and cell count systems are being developed as we speak (or rather, type).

Currently, a technician removes flasks from Emmet to image, and cell counts are determined using an external cell counting system (e.g., a NucleoCounter). The technician then uses this information to tell Emmet what to do next (e.g., to determine if cells are confluent and to initiate passaging, and to determine the specific amount of cell suspension to be fed into new flasks during a passage).

We are rapidly moving toward automated onboard systems to support complete walk-away automation.

What analytics systems does Emmet have?

Onboard pressure sensors (to maintain flow rate), temperature, humidity, and atmospheric CO2 sensors (environmental controls). Atmospheric N2 available upon request.

At-line samples can be generated for external analysis of cell suspension (e.g., for flow cytometry or qPCR preparation) or supernatant (e.g., for protein quantification).

Onboard, in-line metabolic sensors (glucose, lactate, dissolved O2, CO2, and pH) are being integrated into Emmet and are available upon request.

Onboard, in-line, fully automated cell imaging and cell count systems are being developed.

We're also developing adaptive process control systems leveraging in-line data to optimize critical process parameters in real-time.

Do I need to know how to program to use Emmet?

No. We’ve created a no-code protocol builder that anyone can use to create customized cell culture protocols.

You’ll need to build your protocol on a computer (e.g., a laptop). Once complete, your protocol can be uploaded to Emmet.

Can I monitor Emmet remotely?

We are developing a remote access tool that you could run from your computer to monitor Emmet and make go/no-go process decisions remotely.

Related resources

Automated hiPSC expansion: Emmet

Showcasing the efficacy of expanding hiPSCs from a T25 to a T225 in a closed, automated bench-top system (Emmet).
App Notes
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1.17.2025
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Research scientist

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Laboratory manager

Enhance lab efficiency
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