What Cell Biolabs does

Cell Biolabs, Inc. is a privately held life science research products company founded in 2004 and headquartered in San Diego, California. The company develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary assay kits and reagents for cell and molecular biology research, organized across six branded product lines: CytoSelect™ cell-based assays (migration, invasion, contraction, wound healing, co-culture), OxiSelect™ oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity assays (ROS/RNS, protein carbonyl, glutathione, ORAC, HORAC, nitrotyrosine, ascorbic acid), QuickTiter™ viral vector quantification kits (lentiviral p24, adenoviral functional titer, MuLV p30, HCV core antigen), protein biology reagents (CRISPR/Cas, reporter molecules, tags), pathogen and toxin assays, and viral expression systems for AAV, adenoviral, lentiviral, and retroviral delivery. The portfolio spans plate-based colorimetric, fluorometric, ELISA, and immunoblot detection formats at scales from 6 to 96 wells per kit, with proprietary technical differentiators including biocompatible hydrogel cell-free zones (Radius™), virus-associated p24 isolation (QuickTiter™), ROS/RNS integrated detection at 10 pM sensitivity (OxiSelect™), and a 3D collagen floating-matrix contraction model (CytoSelect™).

The company operates a dual-channel go-to-market model: direct e-commerce sales to USA-based researchers through its website (cellbiolabs.com) supported by customer service and technical consultation, alongside a global distributor network for international markets. Pricing follows a catalog-driven unit model, with representative kits priced between $520 and $875 for 24–192 assays, bulk 5x pack sizes available at discount, and pay-as-a-you-go billing. Customers are primarily academic and industrial life science researchers working in oncology, cell and developmental biology, immunology, drug development, food science, and cosmetics, with a horizontal segmentation approach spanning multiple research use cases rather than any single vertical.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time kit sales rather than subscriptions or licensing, with an additional contract service offering ('Commercialize your Research Reagents') allowing third-party scientists to outsource manufacturing and distribution to Cell Biolabs. The company has operated for over 20 years as a self-funded independent entity, with no disclosed venture or private equity investment, no parent company, and no publicly disclosed revenue. Cell Biolabs supports its installed base through selection guides, FAQs, technical service, and a publication-validated citation library, while maintaining content marketing via its news/blog section. A software integration with CellProfiler™ (Broad Institute) provides downstream image analysis support for Radius™ assays.

Name

Cell Biolabs

Legal name

Cell Biolabs, Inc.

Website

https://cellbiolabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cell Biolabs is a privately held San Diego-based life science research products company that develops and sells proprietary assay kits — including CytoSelect™, OxiSelect™, and QuickTiter™ platforms — for cell-based, oxidative stress, and viral quantification research. It serves academic and industrial life science researchers globally via direct e-commerce in the USA and an international distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Science Research Reagents

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Cell-Based & Potency Assays (Bioassays) (HLAGADAH)

Keywords

• Cell-based assays
• Viral quantification kits
• Oxidative stress assays
• Wound healing assays
• Life science reagents

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Assay Kit Sales: Sale of proprietary research assay kits including cell-based assays, oxidative stress assays, viral quantification kits, and related reagents. Products are sold as ready-to-use kits with specific catalog numbers and unit pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cell Biolabs develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary cell-based assay kits and reagent systems for life science research, organized into branded product families including CytoSelect (cell migration/invasion/wound healing assays), QuickTiter (viral titer quantification kits), OxiSelect (oxidative stress detection assays), and Radius (cell migration/wound healing assays). The products are sold directly via the company's website to U.S. customers and through international distributors to researchers worldwide.

Product overview

Cell Biolabs is a life science research products company offering an extensive portfolio of assays and reagents organized into six product lines: (1) CytoSelect™ cell-based assay kits covering migration (wound healing, Boyden chamber, Radius™ hydrogel-based gap closure), invasion, and contraction formats; (2) OxiSelect™ oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity assays including ROS/RNS, protein carbonyl, ORAC, HORAC, ascorbic acid, glutathione, glutathione reductase, and nitrotyrosine detection kits; (3) QuickTiter™ viral vector quantification kits for lentiviral p24, adenoviral functional titer, MuLV p30, and HCV core antigen detection; (4) protein biology products including CRISPR/Cas systems, reporter molecules, and protein tags; (5) pathogen and toxin assays; and (6) viral expression systems for adeno-associated virus, adenoviral, lentiviral, and retroviral delivery. The portfolio supports fundamental research in oncology, cell and developmental biology, immunology, drug development, and related fields, with products designed for various detection methods including colorimetric, fluorometric, and immunoblot formats across 6- to 96-well plate configurations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CytoSelect Cell-Based Assay Kits A proprietary family of cell-based functional assay kits covering cell migration, invasion, cytotoxicity, adhesion, and related phenotypic endpoints, used by academic and industrial life science researchers who need standardized, plate-based assays with quantitative readouts.
• QuickTiter Viral Quantification Kits Ready-to-run kits for quantifying viral titers (lentivirus, retrovirus, adenovirus and related vectors), used by virology, gene therapy, and cell biology labs needing rapid titer determination without custom assay development.
• OxiSelect Oxidative Stress Assay Kits A suite of kits for measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity, and related redox endpoints in biological samples, used by redox biology, aging, and disease mechanism researchers.
• Radius Wound Healing / Cell Migration Assay Kits A standardized 24-well or 96-well wound healing assay format that creates a uniform cell-free zone to enable reproducible, quantitative measurement of cell migration, used by cell biology and pharmaceutical researchers studying cell motility, wound repair, and drug effects on migration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced user-to-user variability through precisely defined wound gaps and inert insert designs
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Abcam: Abcam is one of the largest life science research reagent catalogs globally, with deep overlap to Cell Biolabs in primary antibody and assay kit categories serving academic and pharma researchers. Most directly comparable mid-size catalog reagent peer, especially in cell biology reagents.
• Cell Signaling Technology: Cell Signaling Technology develops and manufactures antibody-based and ELISA research reagents for cell biology and signaling pathways, directly competing with Cell Biolabs in ELISA kits and oxidative stress assays for the same academic/biopharma researcher buyer.
• Bio-Techne (R&D Systems): Bio-Techne's R&D Systems brand is a leading supplier of cell biology reagents, ELISA kits, and assay kits, with significant overlap to Cell Biolabs' portfolio in ELISA kits, oxidative stress, and cell-based assays serving research customers.
• Enzo Life Sciences: Enzo Life Sciences is a mid-size reagent company with direct overlap to Cell Biolabs in oxidative stress, cell death, and inflammation assay kits, ELISA kits, and viral quantification reagents for research use.
• Cayman Chemical: Cayman Chemical supplies ELISA kits, biochemical assays, and oxidative stress reagents to academic and pharmaceutical researchers, directly comparable to Cell Biolabs' OxiSelect™ and ELISA offerings.

Emerging players

• StressMarq Biosciences: StressMarq is a niche reagent supplier specializing in oxidative stress, heat shock proteins, and cellular stress assays — closely comparable to Cell Biolabs' OxiSelect™ product line, though smaller and more focused.
• Platypus Technologies: Platypus Technologies manufactures Oris™ cell migration and invasion assay kits, directly competing with Cell Biolabs' CytoSelect™ migration and wound-healing assays for the same research applications.
• Arbor Assays: Arbor Assays is a niche ELISA and activity assay kit manufacturer (hormones, oxidative stress, steroids), with meaningful product overlap to Cell Biolabs' ELISA kit portfolio for research-use customers.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Life Sciences): Thermo Fisher's Life Sciences segment offers cell-based assays, ELISA kits, viral quantification reagents, and oxidative stress assays as part of a broader catalog — competing with Cell Biolabs across multiple product lines but not specializing in these niches.
• MilliporeSigma (Sigma-Aldrich): MilliporeSigma offers extensive cell biology reagents, ELISA kits, and assay kits as part of its broad life science catalog, directly overlapping Cell Biolabs across all six product lines but with much wider breadth and scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cell Biolabs