Seeing the Unseen: Revolutionizing Drug Discovery with Advanced Microscopy & Complex In Vitro Models

Traditional 2D cell cultures often prove insufficient for accurately predicting drug behavior in vivo, posing a significant challenge in drug discovery. This video illustrates how advanced complex in vitro models, such as Organ-on-a-Chip (OOC) platforms, are revolutionizing preclinical testing by meticulously replicating human organ physiology in a 3D environment. To fully leverage these sophisticated models, high-resolution 3D imaging is essential to observe nuanced cellular behavior. The ZEISS LSM 910 confocal microscope, enhanced with Airyscan technology, enables deep optical sectioning and the creation of comprehensive 3D maps, revealing intricate spatial contexts and subcellular details of drug responses. This advanced imaging facilitates precise quantification of cellular behavior and gene expression, directly translating into more confident drug candidate identification, earlier toxicity prediction, and accelerated development of personalized and effective therapies. Ultimately, this approach fosters a deeper understanding of human biology, driving the future of drug discovery.