Computer vision (CV) has seen rapid growth in many industries, including the life sciences with high-content cell imaging and phenotypic assays.  However, many biomolecular and cellular assays today typically rely on conventional readouts like spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, and luminescence. Bioelectronica is developing an integrated sensing and fluid-actuation platform (“BE-Platform”) that combines CV, a lensless imager, chemical reagents,  and data science approaches to provide researchers and collaborators with a versatile modern tool for biomolecular and cell-based assays in a single instrument.

The BE-platform detects the size, darkness, morphology, and other multi-dimensional features of objects at 5-50 micron length scales.  The generality of this approach enables the BE-platform to perform diverse assays and workflows that traditionally require separate analytical tools. The vision is to provide researchers with a cloud-connected technology that integrates data across multiple assays and multiple sites, allowing new forms of workflow automation. 

This talk will present some of the current capabilities of the BE-platform and their early-stage applications:

1. Enumeration for cell and bead counting.
2. Size/morphology for measuring bead-mediated chemistries, including non-enzymatic reagents used to detect biomarkers in cell-growth media
3. Darkness of beads to a) measure enzyme-linked darkening assays (ELDA), (b) Cell surface markers, and (c) Live/Dead Cell Assays. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Understand how computer vision (CV) can be applied to molecular and cellular assays.
2. Consider examples of how users may utilize the BE-platform for their own research and application purposes.