ImageXpress HCS.ai – High-Content Screening System

3D Cell Imaging and Analysis

Three-dimensional (3D) cell models are physiologically relevant and more closely represent tissue microenvironments, cell-to-cell interactions, and biological processes that occur in vivo. Now you can generate more predictive data by incorporating technologies like the ImageXpress system with the integrated 3D Analysis Module in MetaXpress® software. This single interface will enable you to meet 3D acquisition and analysis challenges without compromise to throughput or data quality, giving you confidence in your discoveries.

COVID-19 and Infectious Disease Research

Here we’ve addressed common applications in infectious disease research including cell line development, binding affinity, viral neutralization, viral titer and more with a focused effort on understanding the SARS-CoV-2 virus in order to develop potential therapies for COVID-19 including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

Cell Painting

Cell Painting is a high-content, multiplexed image-based assay used for cytological profiling. In a Cell Painting assay, up to six fluorescent dyes are used to label different components of the cell including the nucleus, the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, cytoskeleton, the Golgi apparatus, and RNA. The goal is to “paint” as much of the cell as possible to capture a representative image of the whole cell.

Cells in Extracellular Matrices

One common way of culturing cells in three dimensional space is through the use of extracellular matrix-based hydrogels, such as Matrigel. Cells are grown in an extracellular matrix (ECM) to mimic an in vivo environment. Differences between Matrigel and 2D cell cultures can be readily seen by their different cell morphologies, cell polarity, and/or gene expression. Hydrogels can also enable studies on cell migration and 3D structure formation, such as endothelial cell tube formation in angiogenesis studies.

Disease Modeling

Disease model systems range in complexity and scale from simple 2D cell cultures to complex model organisms. While model organisms offer in vivo context, they are often costly and may not represent human biology. On the other hand, while traditional 2D cell culture systems have been used for many years, they have limitations in representing the complex three-dimensional structure and cellular interactions found in living tissues. As a result, 3D cell cultures have emerged as an attractive model system for disease modeling.

Drug Discovery & Development

For every drug that makes it to the finish line, another nine don’t succeed. This alarming failure rate can be traced to reliance on 2D cell cultures that don’t closely mimic complex human biology, often leading to inaccurate predictions of a drug’s potential and extended drug development timelines.

Live cell imaging

Live cell imaging is the study of cellular structure and function in living cells via microscopy. It enables the visualization and quantitation of dynamic cellular processes in real time.

Live cell imaging encompasses a broad range of biological applications, from long-term kinetic assays to fluorescently labeling live cells.

Neurite Outgrowth / Neurite Tracing

Neurons create connections via extensions of their cellular body called processes. This biological phenomenon is referred to as neurite outgrowth. Understanding the signaling mechanisms driving neurite outgrowth provides valuable insight into neurotoxic responses, compound screening, and for interpreting factors influencing neural regeneration. Using the ImageXpress Micro system in combination with MetaXpress Image Analysis Software automated neurite outgrowth imaging and analysis is possible for slide or microplate-based cellular assays.

Oncology – Cancer Research

Cancer researchers need tools that enable them to more easily study the complex and often poorly understood interactions between cancerous cells and their environment, and to identify points of therapeutic intervention. Learn about instrumentation and software that facilitate cancer research using, in many cases, biologically relevant 3D cellular models like spheroids, organoids, and organ-on-a-chip systems that simulate the in vivo environment of a tumor or organ.

Organ-on-a-Chip

Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) is a technology that uses microfabrication techniques to create miniature models of biological organs, such as the lung, heart, or gut, on a chip-sized device. These microfabricated devices are made up of living cells that are grown on a microscale platform and mimic the structure and function of the organ they represent. The cells are typically arranged in a way that mimics the native three-dimensional structure of the organ and is perfused with fluids, such as blood or air, to represent the physiological environment of the organ.

Organoids

Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) multi-cellular microtissues that are designed to closely mimic the complex structure and functionality of human organs. Organoids typically consist of a co-culture of cells which demonstrate a high order of self-assembly to allow for an even better representation of complex in vivo cell responses and interactions, as compared to traditional 2D cell cultures.

Spheroids

Spheroids are multi-cellular 3D structures that mimic in vivo cell responses and interactions. They can be highly reproducible and to be scaled for high-content screening. Compared with adherent cells grown in 2D monolayers, 3D growth conditions are believed to more closely reflect the natural environment of cancer cells. Acquiring measurements from these larger structures involve acquiring images from different depths (z-planes) within the body of the spheroid and analyzing them in 3D, or collapsing the images into a single 2D stack before analysis.

Stem Cell Research

Pluripotent stem cells can be used for studies in developmental biology or differentiated as a source for organ-specific cells and used for live or fixed cell-based assays on slides or in multi-well plates. The ImageXpress system has utility in all parts of the stem cell researcher’s workflow, from tracking differentiation, to quality control, to measuring functionality of specific cell types.

T-cells and 3D cell models for immunotherapy

Using the power of T-cells with organoids and spheroids for cancer therapy research Immunotherapy, which leverages the immune system to specifically target cancer cells, is gaining traction as an additional form of cancer treatment. These therapies include CAR T-cells (Chimeric Antigen Receptor engineered T-cells), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), and other genetically modified T-cells.

Enhancing T-cell recruitment and cytotoxic activity is crucial for successful cancer immunotherapy. In preclinical scientific research, 3D cell models offer advantages over 2D monolayer cultures by better mimicking the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). For example, patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are superior to traditional 2D monolayer cultures because they better replicate the physical and chemical cues of the TME.

Toxicology

Toxicology is the study of adverse effects of natural or man-made chemicals on living organism. It is a growing concern in our world today as we are exposed to more and more chemicals, both in our environment and in the products we use.