Malvern Panalytical launches Zetasizer Core – an industry first in biologics plate-based stability screening

Zetasizer Core is the first instrument to measure DLS, SLS and DSF on a standard well plate, showing biologics teams not just whether a candidate is unstable, but the mechanisms driving it.

• Twice the throughput of existing custom sample holder stability screening instruments.
• Larger, consistent datasets to de-risk stability before it becomes a late-stage problem.
• No proprietary consumables. Runs on standard 96, 384 and 1536 well plates, for seamless integration into existing infrastructure.

Malvern Panalytical today announces the launch of the Zetasizer Core, a next generation stability screening instrument designed to deliver greater throughput, deeper mechanistic insight and more efficient workflows for early-stage biologics discovery.

“Building on more than 30 years of the trusted Zetasizer range, and developed in collaboration with Dimer Instruments, the Zetasizer Core is the first instrument to simultaneously measure three indicators of physical instability - structural, colloidal and aggregation behavior - on a single standard microwell plate. This means formulation teams can make more informed decisions earlier in the process, based on more accurate and more comprehensive data – we firmly believe this ground-breaking instrument our customers have been asking for meets the accuracy and pace biologics discovery now demands.”

Christian Sauber — President, Malvern Panalytical

Three distinct capabilities set the Zetasizer Core apart:

• Key indicators of physical instability measured together: Measuring Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Static Light Scattering (SLS) and intrinsic Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (DSF) with one sample under the same conditions, structural stability, colloidal stability and aggregation behavior can be interpreted together rather than correlated across separate experiments.
• Seamless integration: Zetasizer Core runs on standard 96, 384 and 1536 well plates already in use across all biologics laboratories, and slots into existing plate-handling infrastructure, robotics and LIMS workflows. Existing workflows often require samples to be transferred into instrument-specific consumables, which disrupts the workflow.  A standardized format reduces inter-instrument transfers, with potential time and resource savings at sample preparation. It also uses the same DLS algorithms and adaptive correlation as Zetasizer Advance, so existing users have access to the same analysis from discovery to QC.
• Increased throughput capacity: Standard plate formats up to 1536 wells, combined with the three-in-one format, increases the number of formulations that can be characterized in a single experiment. Up to 192 samples per run can be achieved at a 1 °C per minute thermal ramp - twice the capacity typically achieved by existing custom sample holder stability screening instruments, which are generally limited to 96 samples.ⁱ

The result is a platform that consolidates three measurements into a single run, giving formulation teams the evidence to distinguish a candidate that won’t work, from one that simply needs different conditions.

When Dr Viacheslav Trush, Head of High-Throughput Screening & Assay Development at Translation & Innovation Hub, UK used the instrument as part of initial trials, he said:

“I’ve been genuinely impressed by the technical performance [of the Zetasizer Core]. 

“What really stands out is the precision of the DSF traces at low protein concentrations. Which is a major advantage when working with difficult constructs or early stage targets. It’s the first time I’ve felt that DSF can scale into drug discovery workflows without the usual compromises.” 

“The 384 well format, and low working volumes, make it genuinely HTS compatible. You can run full binding panels or stability screens in a single pass, and the data quality is still higher than what I used to have on other instruments.” 

“For labs doing small molecule/protein or DNA/protein work, I think this reader has the potential to become a core piece of infrastructure.” 

“The race to produce effective biologic drugs needs a solution that can do more. The Zetasizer Core is the only instrument on the market that combines DLS, SLS and DSF in one standard well plate format, having unmatched throughput, and repeatability and accuracy engrained within its design. Running three measurements at once reduces the chance of data discrepancies, narrowing the margin for error and providing exceptional results, fast.”

John Stenson — Product Manager, Malvern Panalytical

Demonstrations and Availability 

The Zetasizer Core is intended for use across biologics discovery, from initial research, to formulation development and QC. Applications span pharmaceutical, biotechnology and contract development organizations as well as academic and government research laboratories.

To experience Zetasizer Core firsthand, contact your local Malvern Panalytical team to book a live demonstration.

Zetasizer Core is available for shipping to customers from 1 January 2027.  

For press or media enquiries please contact corporatecommunications@malvernpanalytical.com

References

ⁱ Competitor analysis data on file. September 2026.