Microscopy of autocultured organisms, cell cultures, or organoids (1,2)

1. Capture Z-stacks of images to build 2-D or 3-D images of 2-D or 3-D samples, such as frog embryos, zebrafish, and human cerebral cortex organoids.
2. Use Extended Depth of Field (EDoF) composite images to simplify the end user’s visual analysis of longitudinal changes in a 3D sample.
3. Observe 24 samples in a 6×4 array, enabling multiple simultaneous treatment options.
4. Each well is equipped with a virtual microscope and camera allowing a resolution of 7 um. Conduct experiments (for days or weeks) in UCSC-located, temperature and humidity controlled CO2 incubators.

Autoculture details (3)

1. 1-24 wells per plate (120 uL volume per well).
2. Up to 3 different refrigerated media reservoirs; option to vary media composition for each well.
3. 24 spent media collection tubes for each individual well for downstream analysis.
4. Maximal feed frequency: 72 sec.
5. Volume of exchanged media per feeding: 5-1000 ul.

Examples of Microscopy on autocultured organisms/cells:

Longitudinal imaging a) Culture plate on device (outside of the incubator), b) Regeneration of planaria worms, c) Zebrafish embryos at oblong stage, d) Zebrafish embryo at 48 hours post fertilization, e) magnification of image d), f) time course of a growing cerebral cortex organoid derived from human embryonic stem cells..

Related publications

Remotely operated Microscopy

1. Picroscope: low-cost system for simultaneous longitudinal biological imaging. Ly VT et al., Commun Biol. 2021 Nov 4;4(1):1261

2. Low cost cloud based remote microscopy for biological sciences Baudin PV et al., Internet of Things 18 (2022) 100454

Autoculture

3. Modular automated microfluidic cell culture platform reduces glycolytic stress in cerebral cortex organoids. Seiler ST, Mantalas GL, Selberg J, et al. bioRxiv 2022.07.13.499938;