High-Content Screening - Facts

High-content Screening – HCS (often also referred as high content analysis – HCA) refers typically an image-base read out. Images are extremly rich in information and HCS makes use of this fact. HCS/HCA is a phenotypic screen performed on cells or cellular aggregates (organisms, tissue samples, spheroids etc). It can be used in combination both of compound and genetic (knock in or knock out) screening and the screen size can strech from low to extremely high-throughput. Typically it involves the use of a dedicated (automated) microscope and the read-out can involve virtually all established microscopy methods: transmission/fluorescence, 2D/3D, fixed/live samples, static/time-lapse imaging etc. Accordingly, the analyzed parameters (screening assay) can show also large heterogeneity and involve very simple ones like counting cells but also more complex ones where dozens of parameters for each individal cell are analyzed. As a result, in most of the cases for a HCS/HCA project significant image/data analysis resources are required that need to be established already during the assay development phase and are virtually as important as the data acquisition itself.