zIncubascope: Long-term quantitative imaging of multi-cellular assemblies inside an incubator

Area of Science:

• Bioengineering
• Developmental Biology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Bioengineering enables complex in vitro systems to mimic organ functions.
• Monitoring multicellular aggregates like organoids is vital for understanding morphogenesis but challenging.
• Quantitative data extraction from developing tissues is crucial for biological insight.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an incubator-compatible imaging platform for high-throughput, long-term monitoring of cell assemblies.
• To enable quantitative analysis of self-organized biological systems under confinement.
• To investigate the impact of confinement on morphogenesis in various cell types.

Main Methods:

• Development of an incubator-integrated imaging platform for continuous monitoring.
• High-throughput tracking of cell assemblies over extended periods (days to weeks).
• Application of a customized image analysis pipeline for quantitative data extraction.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated system capabilities using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in spherical and tubular capsules.
• Successfully monitored yeast cells in spherical capsules.
• Obtained quantitative insights into the effects of confinement on cellular self-organization and morphogenesis.

Conclusions:

• The developed imaging platform facilitates high-throughput, in situ monitoring of biological self-organization.
• The system provides valuable data for deciphering morphogenetic mechanisms under confinement.
• This technology aids in understanding how physical constraints influence the development of engineered biological systems.