10x Genomics acquired Scale Bio for $30 million in cash plus milestones, integrating combinatorial indexing technology with its Chromium platform to enable ultra-high-throughput single-cell sequencing. This move underscores a strategic shift towards instrument-free methods capable of processing millions of cells per run, addressing burgeoning market demands. The deal also transfers Scale Bio’s patent litigation against Parse Biosciences to 10x, highlighting the role of intellectual property in this competitive landscape.