The ImageXpress Micro widefield high content screening system provides a fully automated solution to capture high-quality images of fixed- or live-cell assays.  While the high throughput capability of this system is best achieved using samples in multi-well optical plate format, the system can also accommodate samples, live or fixed, on standard glass microscope slides.  Five objective lenses (1X, 2X, 10X, 20X, 40X) are available (10X and 20X lenses support phase contrast); images may be captured under brightfield (halogen lamp) and/or fluorescence (mercury lamp) illumination.  Optical filter sets provide for excitation (350-400 nm, 450-490 nm, 525-560 nm) and emission (415-480 nm, 500-540 nm, 570-620 nm) ideal for tracking fluorescent dyes such as DAPI, FITC, and TRITC, respectively.  The sample chamber can be temperature-controlled (heating only) and an optional sample plate manifold makes it possible to perform live cell work under an air/CO2 atmosphere mix.  A dedicated PC workstation equipped with MetaXpress software (recently upgraded to v4.4.4.43) is available for collecting and analyzing images; images are stored (and automatically backed up daily) in a database residing on a remote server.  A second PC workstation equipped with MetaXpress (v3.1) is available for post-acquisition image analysis.

MetaXpress software is modular in nature; the current package installed includes the following suite of applications:

  • Angiogenesis Tube Formation – for tube formation of new blood vessels, both in health and disease
  • Multi Wavelength Cell Scoring – for counting and logging measurements of cells in multiple wavelength experiments
  • Multi Wavelength Translocation – for simultaneous measurement and scoring of up to six translocating probes, ideal for signal transduction and pathway profiling studies
  • Neurite Outgrowth – for studying extension of axonal processes from the cell body, which can be a natural part of early development but is also implicated in a broad range of CNS disorders or injuries
  • Transfluor – designed to facilitate analysis of receptor internalization