Cell-Based Assay Applications
Cell-based assays are indispensable tools in life sciences, utilizing living cells to study biological processes and chemical interactions. They are particularly valuable in drug discovery, where they help assess cell viability, cytotoxicity, and metabolic activity, enabling researchers to evaluate a compound's safety and effectiveness early in development.
By providing real-time insights into cellular responses, these assays reduce the risk of costly late-stage failures and enhance the efficiency of the drug development pipeline.
Beyond drug discovery, cell-based assays have broad applications across life sciences, including targeted genetic modifications (e.g. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats or CRISPR), biomarker identification, and disease modeling. Techniques such as High-Content Screening (HCS) enable the visualization of complex cellular processes, while metabolic activity assays help researchers understand how compounds can alter cellular function.
These assays are also instrumental in stem cell studies and pathology research, driving innovation and accelerating therapeutic advancements.
How Hamilton Supports Your Cell-Based Assay Workflows
Hamilton offers a broad range of automated liquid handling solutions, including the Cell Care STAR, a standard solution specifically designed to streamline daily cell maintenance tasks. The Cell Care STAR can efficiently produce a large number of cell culture plates for cell-based assays with exceptional precision, ensuring a level of standardization that is challenging to achieve manually.
For unique requirements, we also provide customized automation solutions tailored to your cell-based workflows. Our platforms can be seamlessly integrated with various on-deck modules and off-deck third-party devices to automate essential processes such as heating, cooling, shaking, centrifuging, imaging, and incubation. We also provide automation solutions designed for precise low-volume applications, such as the BIOSPOT, which optimizes compound treatment workflows through highly accurate and reproducible nanoliter (nL) dosing.
For laboratories conducting manual workflows, Hamilton’s portfolio includes a variety of fixed and adjustable volume manual pipettes that enable accurate liquid handling.
Explore our Cell-Based Assay Solutions and Applications in Detail
Automated workstation
BIOSPOT® Workstation
Common Kits and Available Hamilton Methods
Good to Know About Cell-Based Assay Workflows
This section provides a selection of additional resources related to the application described on this page. It includes helpful articles, videos, and blogs that offer deeper insights into the topic.
Scientific Articles
Peer-reviewed journal publications that feature Hamilton products, demonstrating their use in real-world research and applications.
| Wang, J., Zhang, L., Smith, R., & Chen, T. (2024). Automated CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing using integrated platforms for scalable and standardized workflows. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 12, 1459273. | Read Article |
| Koch, P., Schmitt, S., Cardner, M., Beerenwinkel, N., Panke, S., & Held, M. (2022). Discovery of antimicrobials by massively parallelized growth assays (Mex). Scientific Reports, 12(1), 4097 | Read Article |
| Gut, G., Herrmann, M. D., & Pelkmans, L. (2018). Multiplexed protein maps link subcellular organization to cellular states. Nature Methods, 15(11), 923–929. | Read Article |
Hamilton Products in Action
A collection of videos showcasing Hamilton products in use, providing practical insights into their functionality and benefits.
Solutions for the top 3 Challenges for Cell-Based Assays
Ensuring Reproducibility Across Assays
Challenge: Variability in manual workflows often leads to inconsistent results, impacting data quality.
Solution: Automated systems like the Cell Care STAR provide standardized processes for assay preparation and execution. Tools such as Hamilton tilt modules for gentle media handling and Agilent Cytation 1 Imager for real-time monitoring ensure consistent results.
Managing High-Throughput Demands
Challenge: Screening thousands of compounds efficiently requires scalable solutions without compromising accuracy.
Solution: The use of Hamilton automated liquid handlers enables parallel processing of multiple plates and batches. The throughput is further enhanced by the use of 96- and 364 multi-probe heads. Moreover, the integration of Hamilton’s Rotary Plate Hotel (R10) on Cell Care STAR enables seamless high-throughput processing, accommodating up to 130 plates and providing rapid imaging of multiple SBS-well plates. These advanced tools eliminate bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and support the rapid scaling of experimental processes.
Optimizing for Genome Editing Applications
Challenge: CRISPR-based assays require precision in gene targeting and data capture.
Solution: The integration of Hamilton Cell Control Software with Hamilton’s liquid handlers enables seamless setup and tracking of CRISPR screening protocols. High-resolution imaging provided by the integrated Agilent Cytation 1 Imager in the Cell Care STAR enhances the analysis of gene function and target genes.
Benefits of Cell-Based Assays
Cell-based assays are a cornerstone of drug discovery, offering numerous advantages for scientific research. By using living cells to test drug effects, these assays provide actionable insights into cellular responses, enabling researchers to predict therapeutic outcomes and safety more accurately.
- Cell viability assays help determine whether a compound supports or hinders cell survival, offering insights into a drug’s therapeutic potential.
- Cytotoxicity assays identify harmful effects early, reducing the likelihood of costly late-stage failures.
- They provide a more accurate representation of the in vivo environment compared to biochemical assays, as they use cultured cells to measure parameters like apoptosis or gene expression.
- HCS captures intricate cellular reactions, including changes in metabolic activity and cell viability, offering detailed insights that support informed decision-making.
- These assays allow for the functional analysis of genes, proteins, and cellular processes, helping to understand the regulatory mechanisms controlling these functions.
- In clinical trials, cell-based assays are used to monitor pharmacodynamic biomarkers, target engagement, and mechanisms of resistance.
These benefits ensure that cell-based assays remain an essential tool in life sciences and help identify and develop safer, more effective therapies.
How Is CRISPR Transforming Cell-Based Assays?
More recently, innovative techniques like CRISPR screening have transformed cell-based assays by introducing genome editing to study gene function across diverse applications. CRISPR-Cas genome editing exploits the function of the bacterial Cas9 enzyme to cut DNA at a precise location when guided by a specific single-stranded RNA molecule (sgRNA).
This enables researchers to add, remove, or alter genetic material to explore genetic pathways and model diseases. The most widely used application is CRISPR knockout (KO) screening, which allows for loss-of-function studies in which specific genes are disrupted to observe their effect on cellular behavior.
In pooled CRISPR KO screens, a library of sgRNAs is delivered to a population of cells to knock out many genes and measure the resulting phenotype simultaneously. Such methods are instrumental in functional genomics and support the development of precision therapies by pinpointing key pathways involved in disease.
Cell-Based Assay Case Studies and Application Notes
Other Cell-Based Assay Resources
Browse app notes, user guides, specification documents, and more in our Knowledge Center.
Browse app notes, user guides, specification documents, and more in our Knowledge Center.
Browse app notes, user guides, specification documents, and more in our Knowledge Center.
Browse app notes, user guides, specification documents, and more in our Knowledge Center.
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