Over the last decades the application of cell-based assays and in vitro cell culture systems has fundamentally transformed our understanding of biological functions on a cellular and organism level. The resulting ubiquitous usage of cell-based assays in today's scientific world has therefore generated a need for advanced in vitro diagnostic systems. This increased demand has further led to the development of miniaturized live-cell microarrays for biomedical applications including high-throughput screening tools and microfluidic systems. The greatest benefit of miniaturized cell analysis systems is the ability to provide quantitative data in real time with high reliability and sensitivity, which are key parameters for any cell-based assay. An additional advantage of live-cell microarrays is their inherent capability for large-scale screening of single cells, multicell populations, as well as spheroids.
Keywords: Cell-based assays; In vitro diagnostics; Live-cell microarrays.