ArgenTag Expands Single-Cell Long-Read Sequencing Access with Oxford Nanopore-Compatible Workflow
Updated: Sep 8
September 22 webinar features the Director of the Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction (IBIR) applying the workflow to investigate how prostate cancer cells acquire the ability to escape immune surveillance.
NEW YORK CITY, NY – Sep 08, 2026 — ArgenTag today announced that its Single-Cell RNA Library Kit for long-read sequencing has been verified for use with Oxford Nanopore platforms and included in the Oxford Nanopore’s Compatible Products Programme. The kit partitions individual cells and generates full-length, cell-barcoded cDNA without dedicated cell-partitioning instrumentation, and the workflow can be completed in less than one working day.
To show how the workflow is being applied in research, ArgenTag will host a free webinar on September 22, 2026, featuring:
Sofía Lavista, PhD, Director of Process Development at ArgenTag
Patrick Murphy, PhD, Market Segment Manager, Transcriptomics at Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Prof. Soren Hayrabedyan, MD, PhD, DSc, Director at Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBIR-BAS).
Prof. Hayrabedyan’s laboratory is using the workflow to map transcript-variant changes between a parental prostate cancer cell line and a stem-like cell population derived from it during culture — an approach that depends on resolving full transcript structures, not gene-level counts alone, within individual cells.
ArgenTag’s instrument-free workflow partitions individual cells and generates full-length, cell-barcoded cDNA for long-read sequencing. When paired with Oxford Nanopore technology, researchers can examine complete transcript structures within individual cells, including isoform usage, alternative splicing and gene fusions that can be difficult to resolve with short-read sequencing alone.
“Single-cell long-read sequencing has been gated behind capital equipment most labs will never buy”, said Leandro Ciappina, co-founder and CEO of ArgenTag. “We built a workflow that runs on a bench with a magnet and a microfluidic chip, because the labs asking the most interesting transcript-level questions are often the ones without a partitioning instrument sitting idle down the hall.”
From single cells to full-length transcripts
The ArgenTag Single-Cell RNA Library Kit uses a portable microfluidic chip and barcoded magnetic capture beads to isolate cells and retain the connection between each transcript and its cell of origin. The workflow does not require dedicated cell-partitioning instrumentation and can be completed in less than one working day.
The resulting full-length cDNA can be prepared for Oxford Nanopore sequencing, providing a practical route to isoform-level analysis across hundreds or thousands of individual cells.
During the September 22 webinar, speakers will discuss:
How ArgenTag generates full-length, cell-barcoded cDNA without specialized single-cell instrumentation
Key considerations when preparing ArgenTag libraries for Oxford Nanopore sequencing
Where gene-level expression falls short for questions about transcript structure
How Prof. Hayrabedyan’s team resolves full-length transcript variants to uncover the mechanisms driving stem-like state transitions in prostate cancer
Practical considerations for researchers planning single-cell long-read studies
"ArgenTag's single cell preparation paired with Oxford Nanopore sequencing brings together a simple, long-read-optimized single-cell workflow and accessible full-length sequencing. As part of Oxford Nanopore's Compatible Products Programme, ArgenTag’s single cell transcriptomic solutions enable researchers to expand their biological understanding through the exploration of full-length transcripts, isoforms, splice variation, and fusion events at single-cell resolution." said Patrick Murphy, PhD, Market Segment Manager, Transcriptomics at Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
“Our pilot study asks how prostate cancer cells manage to escape immune surveillance as they shift toward a stem-like state”, said Prof. Hayrabedyan, MD, PhD, DSc, Director at IBIR-BAS. “These changes are often driven by which specific transcript variant a gene produces, not just by overall gene expression levels. To truly answer this question, isoform-resolved data at single-cell resolution wasn’t just a preference for us—it was an absolute requirement.”
Webinar details
About ArgenTag
ArgenTag is revolutionizing single-cell genomics by developing accessible and scalable solutions for transcriptomic analysis. Its "instrument-free" platform and proprietary smart barcoding system empower researchers to perform high-throughput single-cell capture and library preparation without specialized equipment. ArgenTag's mission is to make the power of single-cell, long-read sequencing available to every research lab. ArgenTag products are provided for Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
About Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Oxford Nanopore Technologies' vision is to bring the widest benefits to society through enabling the analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere. The Company has developed a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology that is currently used for information-rich, rapid, accessible and affordable DNA and RNA analysis. The platform is also being developed for the analysis of proteins and metabolites. The technology is being used in more than 125 countries to understand the biology of humans, plants, animals, bacteria, viruses and environments, as well as a range of diseases including cancer.
