From Samples to Insight: Meet the New Agilent Cytation 9

As biological models become more complex – from 3D cultures to longitudinal live-cell assays – the real bottleneck in research isn’t data generation. It’s integration. Imaging, quantitation, kinetics… too often these sit in separate workflows, separate instruments, and separate datasets.

The newly released Agilent Cytation 9 Cell Imaging Microplate Reader from Agilent Technologies takes a different approach: one platform, multiple data dimensions, and a clear path from samples to actionable insight.

At the heart of Cytation 9 is something genuinely distinctive — it combines multimode plate reading with both inverted and upright microscopy in a single system.

This dual-microscope configuration opens up a broader experimental space:

• Inverted imaging for standard cell-based assays
• Upright imaging for applications like slides, ELISpot, or tissue sections
• Seamless switching between modalities without moving samples

It’s not just consolidation – it’s capability expansion.

Cytation 9 is clearly built around maximising information density.

Key enhancements include:

• Expanded image cube capacity to capture more fluorescence channels per well
• High-resolution APO objectives for improved image quality
• Wide range of imaging modes, including fluorescence, brightfield, phase contrast, and multi-colour imaging

The result? Richer datasets from every experiment – without increasing sample volume or complexity.

One of the most practical upgrades is throughput.

Cytation 9 delivers:

• Faster imaging workflows to move from acquisition to analysis more efficiently
• Automated features like laser autofocus and montage imaging
• Support for high-density formats (up to 1536-well plates)

Combined, these improvements help labs scale from routine assays to higher-throughput screening without rethinking their entire workflow.

Where Cytation 9 really comes into its own is in dynamic biology.

With software-controlled environmental regulation, including CO₂ and O₂ control, temperature, and humidity, the system enables stable long-term live-cell imaging.

This allows researchers to:

• Track cellular responses over time
• Run kinetic assays with confidence
• Reduce variability introduced by external incubation systems

It’s a shift from static snapshots to continuous biological insight.

Cytation 9 isn’t a fixed system – it’s modular.

You can:

• Add imaging modes as your applications evolve
• Integrate with automation platforms like BioSpa™ or BioStack™
• Work across diverse labware, from plates to flasks and slides

This makes it equally relevant for core facilities, translational labs, and drug discovery environments where needs change rapidly.

The Cytation 9 stands out because it doesn’t force a trade-off between imaging and quantitation – it integrates both in a way that actually improves experimental design.

The addition of upright microscopy alongside the traditional inverted setup is a particularly smart move. It broadens what the system can do without adding complexity, and that’s ultimately what most labs need: more capability, not more workflow friction.

If your work involves cell-based assays, imaging, or high-content workflows, Cytation 9 is well worth a closer look.

If you’re interested in a demo or exploring how this could fit into your lab, feel free to  contact us today.

Until next time… happy experimenting!