Welcome to Advanced Diagnostics Laboratory
High Content Analysis (HCA)
High content analysis (HCA) is the convergence between cell-based assays, high-resolution fluorescence imaging, automation and advanced image processing and analysis software. It has been widely adopted in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries for target identification and validation and as secondary screens to reveal potential toxicities or to elucidate a drug’s mechanism of action. In particular, HCA has made inroads into R&D applications where high throughput screening (HTS) has proven inadequate, such as measuring multiple biological pathways simultaneously, or revealing off-target drug effects. HCA has stepped into this void by demonstrating how particular proteins are affected by the application of a molecule to the cell line of interest.
Our HepG2 predictive cytotoxicity assay using HCA was refined, along with the associated process and data analysis and applied in new capacities, including screening in academic “drug discovery” activities. It was streamlined and made more user-friendly, reproducible, and cost-effective at the biological reagents, assaying, and data reduction and analysis ends. Its effective application was extended into several other cell lines, including lymphoid, monocytic, and intestinal, and into other programs and disciplines, including in cancer drug evaluation, food health, and environmental monitoring.
