HiExM: high-throughput expansion microscopy enables scalable super-resolution imaging

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Microscopy Techniques
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Expansion microscopy (ExM) allows nanoscale imaging with standard microscopes by expanding fixed samples.
• Current ExM methods are limited in throughput, restricting simultaneous sample processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-throughput platform for expansion microscopy (HiExM).
• To enable scalable nanoscale imaging of cells in standard 96-well plates.
• To improve the ease and scalability of image acquisition for ExM.

Main Methods:

• Developed High-throughput Expansion Microscopy (HiExM) for cells in 96-well plates.
• Achieved approximately 4.2x isotropic expansion of cells within wells and across plates.
• Integrated HiExM with high-throughput confocal imaging platforms.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful expansion and imaging of cells in a 96-well plate format.
• Showed improved detection of doxorubicin's dose-dependent effects on cardiomyocyte nuclear DNA compared to unexpanded samples.
• Validated HiExM's scalability and robustness for biological research.

Conclusions:

• HiExM significantly enhances the throughput of expansion microscopy.
• The platform enables scalable super-resolution imaging for drug screening and cellular phenotype analysis.
• HiExM broadens the application of ExM in biological research by improving scalability and ease of use.