Cell Culture on Discovery-Q

During drug discovery, molecular target-based screening methods cannot examine all possible molecule and specific target interaction in humans. Other binding sites or non-specific binding may lead to unexpected secondary actions causing unwanted side effects in humans.

The Discovery-Q is Invitrometrix's first commercial multi-well cell-based quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) aims to address the shortage of phenotypic screens in drug discovery and development. Our device provides a quantitative phenotypic cell-based investigation method.

The Discovery-Q is a 4 well mini plate living whole-cell biosensor that detects measurable changes in cellular biomechanics: attachment, mass redistribution, viscoelasticity. The system creates real-time, reproducible and robust experiment data and can be used with any adherent cell type.

The technique is label free, rapid, and sensitive, and it gives unique kinetic information such as protein-protein interactions from the bound cells.

The Discovery-Q can detect phenotypic changes in the cells as they respond to agents. We have detected:

• cell death (necrosis and apoptosis)
• changes in cytoskeletal elements (actin and microtubules)
• mitochondrial membrane hyper-polarization and depolarization
• changes in cell shape and rearrangement of mass
• cell-to-cell interaction
• motility
• immune cell behaviors (phagocytosis and macrophage activation)

The Discovery-Q is for live cell research and is designed based on cell culture wells instead of fluidics systems. Discovery-Q is calibrated to a standard and all wells run concurrently. It is the only method that can provide direct real-time second-to-second information of cells’ mass distribution and viscoelastic properties.

• Apoptosis, Necrosis and Pyroptosis
• Cellular response to chemotherapies and immunotherapies.
• Macrophage phagocytosis and endocytosis
• Conducting primary hepatocyte research by monitoring cell culture health over multiple days using the Discovery-Q.
• Liver disease co-culture to research fibrosis and the effect of ECM on the Discovery-Q.
• Extracellular matrix role in disease progression and regenerative research.