MERCURIUS™

Single-Cell FLASH-seq Service
for high-sensitivity single-cell RNA-seq

This service provides full-length mRNA transcript coverage even for low-abundance genes, empowering researchers to explore differential gene expression, detect alternative splicing, and analyze isoform diversity without RNA extraction.

Discover Sample Datasets

PBMCs, HEK293

Ultra-sensitive

Full-length transcript coverage

For rare cell populations

Ideal for large
RNA-seq projects

About the service

The MERCURIUS™ Single-Cell FLASH-seq service enables researchers to detect full-length mRNA transcripts, alternative splicing events, and isoform diversity even for low-abundance genes and rare cell types crucial to disease biology.

To use the Single-Cell FLASH-seq service, clients must first sort cells and deposit them in the center of each well of our dedicated 96- or 384-well plates. The plates already contain our proprietary buffer for efficient cell lysis and RNA solubilization. These plates must then be frozen and delivered to our service centers located in Switzerland and the United States.

 
Our FLASH-seq team will then process the plates and return results, including raw sequencing data (fastq files), gene count matrices, QC metrics, and analysis report files.
preps in a single tube
Up to 0
genes detected
at 0.5M reads/sample
0 +
extraction steps needed
Down to 0 RNA
1

1. Alithea ships the plate(s)

The wells of the plate(s) contain the lysis buffer.

2

2. Client FACS-sorts the cells and freezes the plate(s)

3

3. Client ships samples to Alithea

4

4. MERCURIUS™ FLASH-seq​ library prep

2 days

5

5. Library QC - Client Checkpoint

(Fragment analyzer)

1 week

6

6. Deep Sequencing on AVITI or Illumina, depending on the request by the client

1 week

7

7. Data analysis and reporting- Client Checkpoint

8

8. Data Delivery

Raw FASTQ files, sample report file, QC files, and gene count tables

MERCURIUS™ FLASH-seq Detects More Genes Than Smart-seq3 and Smart-seq2 with Greater Consistency

FLASH-seq detects a median of approximately 11,000 genes per sample in HEK293T cells, outperforming Smart-seq3 and Smart-seq2 after downsampling all to 500k reads/sample.

The Sensitivity Of MERCURIUS™ FLASH-Seq Is Retained Even In Highly Heterogeneous Populations​

Number of genes detected in human PBMCs, processed with different protocols, and the number of reads downsampled to 125,000 raw reads. ​

MERCURIUS™ FLASH-Seq Is A Full-Length ScRNA-Seq Protocol ​

Gene body coverage shows a uniform read distribution across the entire gene body for the FLASH-seq protocol.

MERCURIUS™ FLASH-Seq Can Discriminate Rare Cell Populations In Heterogeneous Samples ​

UMAP of hPBMC, automatically annotated using Azimuth (Hao et al, 2021).

Sample Datasets

PBMCs

Number of samples:
96
Reads per sample in demo dataset:
10'000 reads

To have access to the deep-sequenced dataset (9.5M reads per sample) contact us.

Demo dataset file size:
79.9 MB

HEK293

Number of samples:
191
Reads per sample in demo dataset:
250'000 reads
Demo dataset file size:
4.9 GiB

Publications

2025
Tarek Elmzzahi, Chun-Hsi Su, Mehrnoush Hadaddzadeh Shakiba, Doaa Hamada, DaryaMalko, Maren Koehne, Aleksej Frolov, Teisha Mason, Yuanfang Li, Rebekka Scholz, Collins Osei-Sarpong, Leonie Heyden, Jonas Schulte-Schrepping, Lorenzo Bonaguro, Kristian Haendler, Vassiliki Boussiotis, Annett Halle, Elena De Domenico, Daniel HDGray, Martin Fuhrmann, Zeinab Abdullah, Axel Kallies, Kevin Man, Marc D. Beyer.
2025
Akisawa Satomi, Riho Saito, Tadahaya Mizuno, Hiroki Sugishita, Hideki Ukai, Shigeyuki Shichino, Masashi Yanagisawa, Kouji Matsushima, Yukiko Gotoh, Tomohiko Okazaki.
2022
Hahaut, V., Pavlinic, D., Carbone, W et al.,
MERCURIUS™ Single-Cell FLASH-seq is a plate-based, full-length, single-cell RNA-seq method that captures polyadenylated mRNA transcripts. It provides detailed information on transcript isoform usage, structure, and alternative splicing.
 
Its ability to capture full-length mRNA transcripts and detect low-abundance genes makes it a powerful tool for detecting rare cell types.
 

The FLASH-seq protocol was designed to enhance both the sensitivity and efficiency of single-cell mRNA sequencing compared to the other plate-based methods, like Smart-seq2.

Read more about the technology in our blog posts: here and here

We have significantly improved the original FLASH-seq method to offer a streamlined workflow and superior data output. This plate-based technology (available in 96- and 384-well formats) features a novel, non-toxic tagmentation buffer and delivers ultra-sensitive gene detection, capturing up to two times more genes compared to other commercially available solutions.

The MERCURIUS™ FLASH-seq protocol is fully compatible with whole FACS-sorted cells. 

We do not recommend very large cells, such as cardiomyocytes, as they are not compatible with the FACS sorting step.

We require the cells to be sorted directly into the center of each well in the dedicated 96- and 384-plates, which contain the optimized cell lysis buffer. It is essential for the user to deposit cells in the middle of the well. Please refer to the Sample Submission Guidelines for more details.  

Please note! To preserve sample quality during shipping, plates must be placed between dry ice, not just on top. Inadequate cooling may compromise RNA integrity.

From the moment we receive the frozen plates until the moment we deliver the sequencing data, we typically take four weeks.

Ask your question:

Getting started with our MERCURIUS™ Single-Cell FLASH-seq services is simple

You can either book a call with our experts to discuss your project or submit your experimental details via our contact form so we can review your design and requirements. 

Based on the goals, sample types, and scale of your study, we may recommend starting with a pilot project to optimise conditions and de-risk a larger screen.

 If you’re interested in implementing the technology in your own lab instead, you can explore our MERCURIUS™ Single-Cell FLASH-seq kits on the dedicated kits page.

Related Blog Posts

August 27, 2025

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has revolutionized our ability to examine the cellular heterogeneity of complex samples, identify new cell types, and explore transcriptional regulation at…

July 28, 2025

The Smart-seq2 protocol was the gold standard for full-length plate-based single-cell RNA-seq, offering superior sensitivity and the transcript coverage necessary to detect splice isoforms, allelic…

November 5, 2024

Revolutionizing Single-Cell RNA Sequencing with FLASH-seq The field of genomics is advancing rapidly, and one of the most transformative tools has been single-cell RNA sequencing…

Interested in ordering MERCURIUS™ RNA-seq kits?