CytoSMART Technologies is to donate 100 mini live-cell imaging systems to researchers in high-containment laboratories worldwide. Those working to combat COVID-19 will benefit from this initiative, as CytoSMART aims to reduce the huge workload currently facing researchers on projects vital to controlling the disease.
According to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), isolation and characterisation of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus should be performed in BSL-3 laboratories. Many precautionary measures must be taken to ensure the safety of researchers and help prevent the diseases they are working with from spreading outside the laboratory. Removing and replacing the protective clothing and apparatus can be time-consuming and expensive, so entering the laboratory should ideally only occur when absolutely necessary.
CytoSMART’s compact live-cell microscope films living cell cultures without disturbing their growth or behaviour. The device operates from inside cell culture incubators and is accessible from an online environment. This enables researchers to analyse and assess their cell cultures remotely (eg the cytopathic effect, which is caused by virus replication). Using the CytoSMART Lux2, researchers will know when to take action for the next step and harvest the virus.