Single Cell Cloning Emerges from the Shadows

Solentim has highlighted the advanced capabilities of its leading cell imaging and analysis instrument, Cell Metric™, at the 22nd ESACT conference.

Engineered to provide a high throughput workflow solution to screen for colonies from single cell cloning experiments, Cell Metric™ uses its proprietary non-image based focussing to find and locate all possible colonies by imaging the whole well, right up to the edge.

The platform provides complete and accurate cell measurements, without removing the cells from the culture plate and without addition of stains and dyes. This ensures that cells are suitable for use in downstream experiments.

With the ability to identify every healthy, viable cell clone from large multiwell screening projects and to track the visual history of the colonies back to single cells, the Cell Metric™ system delivers unparalleled confidence and return on investment.

The proprietary imaging technology incorporated in the Cell Metric™ system overcomes the problems of shadowing and edge effects associated with current imagers.

“Colonies often tend to form around the edge of the wells. Researchers have told us that they are missing 10-20% of their potentially high-value clones when using existing technologies” commented Dr Ian Taylor, Solentim Sales and Marketing. “The Solentim Cell Metric™ platform is specifically designed to meet these problems head-on and ensures that these colonies are not missed.”

Cell Metric™ is programmed to provide real-time, user-defined metrics on the cell number, confluence or density, colony count and variations in cell morphology, including viability and mitotic index, and can rapidly process samples in lidded 6, 12, 24, 96 or 384 well microplates.

Linking the Cell Metric™ system with a robotic arm and plate stacker provides a complete walk-away solution, with environmental control for large plate numbers and multi-user projects, or where longer term growth and kinetic studies are required.

“The Solentim team has an excellent history and pedigree in developing breakthrough technologies to automate key biological workflows,” continued Dr Taylor.

Taylor continued, “Cell Metric™ will boost efficiency in cloning and developing cell lines and a number of other applications within the cell culture laboratory. We are now inviting a select number of researchers, with defined problems for which Cell Metric™ could provide their solution, to contact us and join our Early Adopter Programme.”