Within our Cell Morphology Analysis, we navigate the complex realm of cell behavior and function, offering a profound exploration into how prospective drug candidates influence the structural and morphological aspects of living cells. This assay involves a systematic approach:
- Compound Treatment: Live cells are subjected to diverse compounds or drugs, each holding the promise of revealing unique insights into cellular responses.
- Cell Staining: To visualize specific cell features, we utilize selective cell staining techniques. Various dyes, molecular probes, or antibodies are employed to highlight specific cellular components, aiding in the comprehensive understanding of cellular changes.
- Automated Microscopy: High-content screening with automated microscopy ensures precise imaging by utilizing appropriate magnification for optimal resolution. This approach allows to capture of the dynamic changes in treated cells, delivering a comprehensive visual dataset of the evolving cellular landscape.
- Image Analysis: Cutting-edge image processing software then steps in to quantify an array of essential morphological features, including:
– Cell size (area, perimeter, diameter)
– Cell shape (circularity, aspect ratio, form factor)
– Cell texture (granularity, roughness)
– Nucleus size and shape (area, circularity, eccentricity)
– Nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio
– Cell polarity (polarization index, directional orientation)
– Filamentous structures (number, length, thickness)
– Mitochondrial morphology (area of the mitochondrial network, number of branches, shape)
– Endoplasmic reticulum morphology (number of fragments, length, complexity)
– Golgi apparatus morphology (number, size, distribution)
The Cell Morphology Assay serves as a valuable window into the effects of drugs, shedding light on cellular signaling pathways, cytoskeletal organization, and cell-cell interactions.
Through high-throughput microscopy, we rapidly screen expansive compound libraries, pinpointing those with the potential to induce the desired changes in cell morphology, a promising indicator of their therapeutic potential.
Assay summary
| Whole cell morphology | Subcellular analysis | |
| Working principle | Whole cell morphology analysis utilizes high-resolution microscopy and specific dyes or antibodies that target the cytoplasm or cell membrane, enabling detailed and rapid visualization and quantification of whole cell morphological features, including cell shape, size, circularity, and others. | Subcellular analysis employs high-resolution microscopy and specific dyes or antibodies targeting organelle-specific markers. This enables detailed visualization and quantification of subcellular structures, such as nuclei, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum lysosomes, lipid droplets and many others. |
| What is detected | whole cells stained with appropriate dyes/antibodies | chosen subcellular compartments stained with appropriate dyes/antibodies |
| Signal type | fluorescence/brightfield | fluorescence |
| Platform | high content screening microscopy | high content screening microscopy |
| Sensitivity | 4/4 | 4/4 |
| Throughput | High | Medium |
| End-point/real time | End-point/real time | End-point/real time |
| Multiplexing | Yes | Yes |
| Model system | Adherent 2D cell cultures or cytospun suspension cells | Adherent 2D cell cultures or cytospun suspension cells |
Example output
