TTP LabTech has validated a new cell colony formation assay on the Acumen eX3 fluorescence microplate cytometer in collaboration with ChemPartner. As an alternative to the traditional method this latest protocol uses fixed as opposed to live cell colonies for analysis. The Acumen eX3 laser scanning cytometer is an ideal platform on which to analyse cell colony formation assays. It enables rapid and accurate enumeration of colony number and is more suitable for higher throughput compound assessment than current microscope based methods.

This non-confocal system enables scanning of whole wells for fluorescent objects without the need for the nuclear stains as required by other platforms. This approach determines colony number through the application of a volume algorithm and permits the differentiation of cytostatic effects, where the number of colonies and size remains constant, from cytotoxic effects where the size and number may be reduced. Application of Acumen’s microplate cytometric technology offers significant benefits over alternative methods in the search for novel chemotherapeutic agents and provides a simple high content and high throughput assay.