Single-cell infrared phenomics: phenotypic screening with infrared microspectroscopy.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Chemical Biology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Phenotypic screening is crucial for drug discovery.
• Current methods have limitations in cell-specific analysis.
• Infrared microspectroscopy offers label-free biochemical information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce single-cell infrared phenomics as a novel phenotypic screening strategy.
• To identify potential drug targets using this new approach.
• To evaluate cellular stress responses with high accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Utilized infrared microspectroscopy for single-cell analysis.
• Developed a phenomic approach for phenotypic screening.
• Applied the technique to HepG2 cancer cells.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the feasibility of single-cell infrared phenomics.
• Identified the HepG2 cell glycocalyx as a novel target of protopanaxadiol.
• Showcased the method's ability to detect cell stress responses.

Conclusions:

• Single-cell infrared phenomics is a powerful tool for phenotypic screening.
• This approach expands the drug discovery toolkit.
• The HepG2 glycocalyx is a potential therapeutic target for protopanaxadiol.