Automated high-resolution microscope platform with robotics to study pharmacodynamics in 3D cell cultures

动物的细胞暴露在环境的变化中（生化信号、温度、机械力、光线变化……）。他们必须解释这些信息，以适应并做出适当的反应。然而，生物体中的细胞并不是孤立地起作用的——它们是复杂的三维（3D）环境的一部分。因此，通过实验重建这样的环境，并在3D中可视化单个细胞，甚至亚细胞组织的能力对于研究生物过程至关重要。成像技术正在快速发展，可以在包括加班在内的多细胞环境中研究单个细胞，科学也在快速发展。为了能够同时对大量的活样本成像，我们需要快速、自动化的显微镜，它可以确保高质量的图像，而不需要用户手动输入。我们建议购买一台易于使用的显微镜（蔡司Celldiscoverer 7），它可以实现：1)实时自动成像生物过程2)高质量的2D和3D样品成像，固定或活的，不需要特定或复杂的样品制备3)在生理条件下成像（控制温度，湿度，CO2, O2）。Celldiscoverer 7是一种多功能显微镜，具有多种功能，可以快速成像2D和3D样品中的精细结构。我们将把它安装在利物浦细胞成像中心（CCI），这是一个开放存取的共享设施，每年有大约100个来自学术界和工业界的注册用户。该显微镜将服务于MRC职权范围内的广泛科学。

Cells in an animal are exposed to changes in their environment (biochemical signals, temperature, mechanical forces, light variations...). They have to interpret this information to adapt and respond appropriately. However, cells in an organism do not function in isolation - they are part of a complex three dimensional (3D) environment. The ability to experimentally recreate such environments and visualise individual cells within, and even subcellular organisation in 3D is therefore essential to study biological processes. Imaging technologies are developing fast to study individual cells in a multicellular environment including overtime, and science is progressing at a fast pace. To be able to image a large number of living samples simultaneously, we need fast, automated microscopes, which ensure high-quality images over time without the need for manual user input. We propose to purchase an easy-to-use microscope (Celldiscoverer 7, from Zeiss), which allows:1) Automated imaging of the biological processes in real-time2) High-quality imaging of 2D & 3D samples, fixed or living, without the need for specific or complex sample preparation3) Imaging in physiological conditions (controlled temperature, humidity, CO2, O2).The Celldiscoverer 7 is a versatile microscope, with multiple capabilities enabling fast imaging of fine structures in 2D and 3D samples. We will install it in the Liverpool Centre for Cell Imaging (CCI), an open-access shared facility with ~100 registered users/year, from academia and industry. The microscope will serve a breadth of science across the MRC remit.