Novel 3D high-content/throughput assay with mobile device-based data acquisition

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Currently available models for toxicity screening are not always accurate predictors of toxicity in humans. Animal models are commonly used, but they are costly, time-consuming, and ethically challenging, they vary between species, and they do not accurately predict toxicity in humans. In vitro toxicity tests have been explored for years as cheaper alternatives or as initial screens before in vivo testing, but there are still issues regarding accuracy, primarily becausethey are cultured on two-dimensional (2D) surfaces, while native tissues exist in three-dimensional environments (3D). As a result, while ethical and cost motivations drive toxicity screening towards in vitro models, the limitations of current in viro assays in mimicking native tissue have prevented their widespread acceptance and use. This proposal puts forward a 3D model that is rapid, quantitative, and representative for high-throughput toxicity testing. Recently, research has gravitated towards in