bit-MAP

bit-MAP® is a patented single-cell sequencing technology developed by bitBiome, designed for the quantitative analysis of microbial genomes at single-cell resolution. It is the only technology of its kind capable of delivering 100x greater efficiency than conventional shotgun metagenomics methods, making it an essential tool for life science researchers, drug discovery teams, and anyone working with complex or difficult microbial samples.

Unlike traditional approaches, bit-MAP uses microfluidics to capture and sequence individual bacterial genomes within isolated capsules. All biochemical reactions — including cell lysis and DNA amplification — occur entirely within each capsule, eliminating the need for isolation, culturing, and complex downstream data processing. The result is faster, cheaper, and vastly more accurate whole-genome reconstructions that enable comparison down to the sub-strain level, revealing both genetic and functional information of individual bacteria as well as genetic differences between target and related strains.

Key Benefits

• Quantitative sequencing and analysis of microbial genomes at single-cell resolution
• Discovery of new species from unculturable and extremophile microbial samples
• Capable of handling difficult samples, including low biomass and high diversity samples
• Provides more detailed phylogenetic and functional information than 16S RNA sequencing
• Reveals strain heterogeneity and enables identification of prebiotic responders, pathogens, and more
• Links mobile genetic elements and antibiotic resistance genes directly to their host microbes
• Produces highly diverse and more complete sequences than any comparable method
• Generates longer contigs and gene clusters for more complete genomes than shotgun metagenomics
• Provides visibility into biosynthetic gene clusters

Performance and Scale

• 100x more efficient gene analysis than shotgun metagenomics, including analysis of microbial dark matter
• Enables massively parallel whole-genome sequencing
• Reduces the potential time required to sequence the planet's entire microbial population from over 10,000 years to within a single human generation

Applications

• Life science research, including discovery of novel Cas proteins to expand CRISPR capabilities
• Drug discovery, including identification of endolysins as potential weapons against drug-resistant bacteria
• Analysis of antibiotic resistance gene hosts in complex microbial communities
• Exploration of extremophile and unculturable microbial populations

bit-MAP is available as a sequencing service through bitBiome's services platform, supporting researchers and organizations seeking deeper, more actionable insights from microbial samples across a wide range of scientific and commercial applications.