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Accelerating Discoveries: High End Cellomics And Its Impact On Biological Research

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Pratik
Accelerating Discoveries: High End Cellomics And Its Impact On Biological Research

Introduction

The field of biological research is advancing at an unprecedented pace with new technologies and methodologies emerging every day. One such cutting edge technology that is driving significant innovations is cellomics, which deals with analyzing cells on a high throughput basis. Traditional methods of studying cells one by one under microscopes are now being replaced by automated high content screening techniques that can analyze thousands of cells simultaneously.

High Throughput Cell Analysis

Traditional methods of studying cells are limited by their low throughput nature. Studies involving analysis of few cells are time consuming and labor intensive. With advancement in microscopy, imaging and fluorescence techniques, it is now possible to automatically acquire high resolution images of thousands of cells in parallel. Companies are developing High End Cellomics platforms integrated with automated microscopes, sophisticated fluid handling systems and powerful image analysis software. These platforms can capture multicolour images of cells labeled with various fluorescent probes to study multiple parameters like morphology, intracellular signaling and protein expression levels in a high throughput manner. For example, some platforms can capture 20 high resolution images per second, analyzing more than 50,000 cells in one run. Such capabilities have expanded the scale of cellomic studies manifold.

Applications in Basic Research

High throughput cellomic techniques are proving invaluable for advancing basic biological research. Scientists are using these tools to gain deeper insights into complex cell signaling networks, protein trafficking pathways and mechanisms underlying various cellular processes like cell cycle, apoptosis etc. For example,RNAi or CRISPR screens combined with multi-parameter cellomic readout have identified numerous novel genes and protein interactions involved in key pathways. Researchers are also employing cellomics to study stem cell differentiation, tissue development and effects of various genetic mutations at single cell resolution. The versatile nature of these platforms allow studying rare cell sub-populations and dynamic processes which were not possible before. Overall, cellomics is opening new avenues for systems level understanding of biology.

Cellomics in Drug Discovery

The true potential of cellomics is being realized in drug discovery applications where high throughput analysis of multiple cellular phenotypes has become indispensable. Pharmaceutical companies extensively utilize cellomic platforms right from target identification and validation to lead optimization stages of drug development. For example, during target ID, RNAi or CRISPR screens on cellomic platforms help identify novel targets by observing cellular phenotypes on gene knockdowns. In lead identification, compound libraries are tested against target cells/pathways to identify initial hits based on quantitative cellomic readouts. Later during lead optimization, automated dose response curves for hundreds of analogs can be generated to select best candidates. Several drug screening campaigns against cancer, neurological disorders etc have been successful applying high content screening techniques. Overall, cellomics is speeding up the drug discovery process manifold by enabling miniaturization, multiplexing and rapid analysis of cellular response to different perturbations.

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