Lyophilization Services

Fortis lyophilization services provides rapid prototyping, scale-up and cost-effective manufacturing options. We specialize in lyophilization applications for diagnostics, cosmetics, and life sciences.

With international manufacturing sites in both the U.S. and Canada, our lyophilization services include beads and cakes. We also offer unique services for lyophilized surface coatings, covering products such as swabs and applicators. With years of experience, we can quickly lyophilize your components, providing you with prototypes, often in under 10 business days.

Our Comprehensive Lyophilization Services

Lyophilized Beads

Lyophilized beads are easy to handle spheres that are readily dissolvable. Beads commonly use an input of 3-75 µL of reagent.

1.5-5 mm in diameter
Compatible with robotic pickers
Automated QC vision system
Color additives available
Unit dose or bulk packaging available

Cakes

Lyophilized cakes can fit into a variety of form factors and are highly resistant to transportation stresses.

Color additives available
25 µL to 2 mL
Packaged in glass or plastic vials
Unit dose or bulk packaging available

Surface Coating

Swabs, applicators, and other components are coated in reagent and then freeze-dried. The material must be capable of withstanding low temperatures. Coating thickness can be controlled.

Good alternative to large beads

Useful in QC applications

Color additives available

Unit dose or bulk swab packaging available

Quality Systems ISO 13485 cGMP compliant

Applications We Support

Diagnostics

Lyophilization can reduce steps and simplify protocols, extend shelf-life, and improve assay repeatability, all while decreasing shipping costs.

Life Sciences

From reagents (molecular, antibody, proteins, lipids, nano & micro-particles) to microbial agents, lyophilization provides a significant robustness and stability enhancement to wet reagent kits.

Cosmetics

Lyophilized beads are a unique format that retain potency of peptides, proteins and botanicals. Beads provide uniform dosing and lot to lot consistency. Color additives are available.

We offer lyophilization services across a wide range of reagent types, delivery formats, and enabling technologies commonly used in research, diagnostics, and cosmetic applications. Some examples are listed below. Contact us to talk about how we can meet your requirements for your technology.

Formats

Point Of Care Devices
Cartridges & chips
Vials and tubes
Plates
Lateral flow
Swabs and applicators
Ampoules
Dual-chamber containers
& MORE

Technologies

qPCR
Isothermal
CRISPR
ELISA
NGS
Immunofluorescence assays
Hybridization assays
Dual-phase systems
& MORE

Reagents

Proteins/Peptides
Growth factors
Nucleic acids
Biopolymers & Bioactives
Vitamins & Probiotics
Natural Extracts & Botanicals
Antibodies
Episomes
Magnetic particles
& MORE

Rapid Prototyping Lyophilization Services

With years of experience, we can quickly assess your formulation and determine the optimal excipients. Upon receipt and approval of your formulation, we will supplement the formulation with up to six excipients and provide prototype lyophilized beads back to you- usually within 10 business days.

Rapid Lyophilized Bead Prototyping

We customize your formulations into freeze-dried cosmetic beads, ready for vials, dispensers, or bottles. Get precise dosing with cosmetic beads size scaled between 1.5-5 mm diameter. Freeze-dried cosmetic beads can be custom colored.

Freeze-dried cosmetic bead specifications:

Reagent volume: 3-75 µl
Coloration: Natural plant-based colorant
Selectable size range: 1.5-5.00 mm +/- 0.5mm

Freeze dried cosmetic beads from 1.5 to 5 mm in diameter

Lyophilized Swabs & Surfaces

Lyophilized swabs offer a reliable and efficient solution for quality control in diagnostic tests that use swab-based sample collection (e.g., nasal, throat, or tongue). There are additional applications in cosmetics. Through our lyophilization services, we freeze-dry control materials directly onto medical-grade assay swabs or other surfaces. Once introduced to your testing system, the lyophilized material rehydrates quickly and fully in the device’s buffer or solvent, ensuring consistent performance. Read more about our Lyophilized control swabs.

Lyophilization Support Services

With end-to-end logistic capabilities, we support your team so you can focus on what is important- your customers.

From project management through drop-shipping, Fortis helps your team manage complexity, streamline execution and maintain operational efficiency with:

Reagent and component procurement
Formulations
Manufacturing- RUO or cGMP
Quality control testing including functional analysis

Certificate Of Analysis or other documentation
Packaging
Warehousing
Shipping and logistics

From Our Learning Center

Choosing Lyophilized Bead Size for Your Application

Learn how lyophilized bead size impacts handling, rehydration, and application fit – from diagnostics to QC testing. Find the right option for your needs

> LEARN MORE

Molecular Assay Accuracy Starts with Consistent Reagents

Batch-to-batch reagent consistency is critical for reliable qPCR, LAMP, NGS, and more. Discover how it impacts assay performance, reproducibility, and patient care.

> LEARN MORE

Democratizing Molecular Diagnostics with Custom Lyophilized Reagents

Q&A with Des O’Farrell — Lyophilization as an elegant solution to challenges in molecular diagnostics.

> LEARN MORE

Lyophilization Services Downloadable White Papers

Lyophilization: The Future of Molecular Diagnostics

As molecular diagnostics rapidly expand, lyophilization offers a key solution to challenges like reagent instability and cold chain logistics, enabling faster, more reliable test development.

> DOWNLOAD