Automated microscopy system for high-throughput analysis

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 584061183

High-throughput imaging and structural analysis systems enable the generation of quantitative, multiparametric data at the single-cell level, making them a key technology for modern preclinical research. Simultaneous acquisition of multiple parameters significantly reduces assay time and variability, while AI-supported Software algorithms ensure automated data processing and evaluation in real time. Quantitative analysis in microtiter plate format simplifies workflows in advanced cell characterization and 3D image analysis, while also laying the foundation for the integration of machine learning methods. With the increasing relevance of animal replacement methods in translational research and personalized medicine, the complexity of preclinical ex vivo models is growing. Their spatial structure and cell-cell interactions cannot be adequately captured using conventional microscopy techniques. Automated high-throughput imaging, on the other hand, enables high-resolution, volumetric, and time-resolved characterization of complex 3D structures and allows precise recording of therapeutic responses and structural changes at the subcellular level. The proposed system for automated high-content analysis (HCA) closes a key methodological gap at the university medical center Rostock (UMR). It enables the standardized, user-independent, and scalable quantification of preclinical data in 3D spheroid, organoid, and bioprinting models from the fields of oncology, immunology, stem cell, and regenerative medicine, thus ensuring valid and reproducible results. The implementation of HCA technology will strengthen UMR's research infrastructure in the long term, promote interdisciplinary networking in translational research consortia, and make a significant contribution to strategic profile building in the university's HealthTechMedicine focus area.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Automatisiertes Mikroskopie-System zur Hochdurchsatzanalyse
• Instrumentation Group: 5042 Mikroskope für Hochdurchsatz und Screening
• Applicant Institution: Universität Rostock
• Leader: Privatdozentin Claudia Maletzki, Ph.D.