Automatic high content microscope

• Subject Area: Polymer Research
• Term: Funded in 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 420378405

At the University of Jena the development of tailor-made polymers as key building blocks for nanomedical applications is in the focus of research activities across several disciplines and faculties promoting a strong interaction of chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy, materials science and medicine. In this context, the controlled preparation of nanocontainers represents an important factor in the overall topic of "soft matter". For the application of nanomaterials, a detailed investigation of their interaction with biological components or cells is indispensable. For this purpose, the currently performed studies on cell-material interactions are planned to be extended by the requested automatic live cell high-content microscope, in order to facilitate a complete and advanced microscopic analysis and, thus, state-of-the-art investigations. The requested microscope will be used by four different work groups (Schubert, Heinzel, Brendel, Träger). In all research projects, key elements of the investigations are various aspects of the interaction of synthetic polymer-based nanostructures with cellular systems. This includes, on the one hand, the analysis of the biocompatibility of the tested materials, but primarily the evaluation of their functionality. The vast majority of samples will be nanoparticulate drug carrier systems for biomedical and diagnostic applications, which will be tested according to their uptake into target cells, their intracellular distribution, as well as their ability to selectively release drugs and degrade under physiological conditions. In all cases, the automated high content microscopy represents an ideal platform to investigate and quantify a large number of cells, not only in terms of particle uptake, but also concerning the influence of particles on the cell physiology. Consequently, polymer libraries can be examined more efficiently with regard to their biological interaction and in order to identify suitable formulations for future application in nanomedicine. The selected configuration of the requested device enables an automated time- and spatially resolved screening of the cellular uptake and impact of a large number of different polymer materials or nanostructures within a very short time, while it guarantees identical uptake conditions in a physiological environment. Furthermore, the detection of a large number of cells within a sample as well as the parallel investigation of a high number of samples can be realized, while, due to the selected setup including several LEDs and filters, several fluorescence markers for cellular and nanoparticulate structures can be detected without causing phototoxic effects. In consequence, the proposed microscope represents an essential platform for existing and future research projects within the central facility of the JCSM including the CRC 1278 started in 2017.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Automatisches High Content Mikroskop
• Instrumentation Group: 5042 Mikroskope für Hochdurchsatz und Screening
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
• Leader: Professor Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert