Molecular Devices Opens Organoid Innovation Center

Molecular Devices, LLC., an industry leader in 3D biology and automated high-content imaging, has opened an Organoid Innovation Center at the company’s global headquarters. The center expands beyond imaging to demonstrate an end-to-end solution that addresses challenges associated with every step in the sample prep-to-report pipeline for assays performed on complex 3D biological models. On display are state-of-the-art methods and technologies to test automated workflows for organoid culturing to deliver consistent, unbiased, biologically-relevant results at scale.

“3D model development and screening has limitless potential for drug discovery,” said Dan O’Connor, Vice President, Drug Discovery, Molecular Devices. “Our vision was to create an organoid testing facility with technology that overcomes many of the hurdles researchers face during the complex 3D cell culturing and screening process. By allowing real-time feedback on 3D model development and providing greater confidence with standardized, more consistent protocols with precise timing of each step in the process, we’ve removed significant barriers to allow shorter time to discovery, while eliminating errors.”

At the Organoid Innovation Center, instruments work harmoniously together for autonomous, long-term, live cell 2D and 3D cell culture growth and monitoring with intelligent label-free imaging. This integrated workflow provides quality control alerts and readiness, 3D organoid screening, and deep learning image analysis that reveals hidden patterns other technologies miss. An intuitive scheduling software allows researchers to control the workflow remotely, tracking the cell journey from single cell to differentiated organoids along the way.   

The Organoid Innovation Center builds on Molecular Devices’ 35 years of experience delivering high-performance life science technology to customers such as Cincinnati Children’s Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM) whose mission is to use advances in developmental biology and stem cell technologies to revolutionize personalized medicine and improve patient care.

“While organoids hold great promise to transform drug development, precision medicine, and ultimately, transplantation-based therapies for end-stage diseases, a number of majors hurdles need to be overcome to realize the full potential of organoid medicine,” said Magdalena Kasendra, Ph.D., director of research and development at CuSTOM. “Our recently established CuSTOM Accelerator Lab aims to solve these issues by developing fully automated high-throughput workflows for improved scalability, reproducibility of organoid production and novel organoid-based drug screening platforms. Combining CuSTOM’s expertise with the cutting-edge imaging technologies and solutions from Molecular Devices will be essential for achieving these goals. CuSTOM’s innovative approach aligns well with the focus of Molecular Devices’ Organoid Innovation Center for advancing biological imaging and analytical methods for real-world impact, and we look forward to working together to further advance a versatile organoid medicine.”

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