High-Throughput High-Resolution Cell Imaging System

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The aim of this application is to establish pharmacological high-throughput analyses based on quantitative three-dimensional long-term microscopy of living cells and in vitro generated three-dimensional cell tissues. Therefore, a microscopy system is needed that can analyze complex sample sets based on microtiter plates in a fully automated manner. The complexity of the data sets in e.g. screenings of natural product databases requires a tailor-made and at the same time flexibly applicable software solution, which on the one hand organizes and stores images together with all necessary meta-information, and on the other hand enables complex analyses such as segmentations, co-localizations or intensity analyses in an automated way, because manual analyses cannot be handled due to the size of the data. Since primarily human "engineered living materials" such as tumor spheroids/organoids and in vitro generated epidermis or (disease-relevant) full-thickness skin models will be investigated, a wide-field confocal system will be required that allows 3D microscopy with high temporal resolution. The addition of a Confocal Quantitative Image Cytometer should provide an optimal and unique combination of ease of use/analysis and powerful, high-speed confocal microscope of the latest type in a box, so that it could basically work in any non-darkened laboratory space. Ideally, it would be a benchtop confocal imaging and analysis system with an integrated climate chamber and incubation control. The central requirement for the requested confocal imaging system is its suitability for three-dimensional biomimetic (co-culture) models that are miniaturized (in 96- or 384-microtiter plate format), characterized and used for testing small molecule drug candidates. The goal is to procure a robust instrument that allows confocal resolution, comparatively high throughput in combination with trouble-free routine operation.