High Throughput Microscopy Revolution: Exploring High End Cellomics...

High Throughput Microscopy Revolution: Exploring High End Cellomics

Posted 2024-03-22 12:00:22

Introduction

Cellomics is fast emerging as an important field in biological research that utilizes high-throughput microscopy to analyze cells and tissues. With advancements in cell imaging technologies, cellomics is gaining traction in drug discovery, diagnostics and understanding disease mechanisms.

Automated High Content Screening

One of the major areas benefiting from High End Cellomics is high content screening (HCS). HCS utilizes automated microscopy to analyze thousands of biological samples in parallel. Early HCS systems had limited detection ability but current high end cellomics platforms can capture spectra of biomarkers across hundreds of experimental conditions simultaneously. Large biopharma companies are extensively using these automated HCS systems to screen millions of compounds in their drug discovery pipelines. The ability to multiplex detection of multiple biomarkers has increased hits from primary screens.

The current generation of HCS platforms offer high resolution microscopy with capabilities like live cell imaging, multi-channel detection, high speed image acquisition and advanced image informatics for phenotypic analysis. Companys like GE Healthcare, PerkinElmer and Olympus have developed fully automated HCS systems with walkaway capabilities. These systems can capture multi-parameter images of an entire microplate within few hours. The large data sets generated from these screens are further analyzed using machine learning for novel insights. HCS is proving invaluable at stages like hit validation, mode of action analysis and safety profiling in early drug discovery.

Spatial Biology and Tissue Imaging

Another emerging application of high end cellomics is deciphering cellular heterogeneity in complex tissues. Traditional bulk analysis techniques provide average information masking cell-to-cell variations. Advanced cellomics platforms with capabilities like multiplexing, high resolution and ability to probe deep tissues are revealing novel biology. Companies are developing tissue imaging solutions powered by microscopy techniques like multiplexed ion beam imaging (MIBI) and expansion microscopy to preserve native tissue architecture during analysis.

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