Monitoring cell viability under culturing conditions provides a measure to address the principles of GCCP. Lensless Microscopy (LM) is ideal for this purpose since it allows cost-effective label-free live-cell imaging with compact instrumentation. We present a novel LM exploiting the optical properties of the cell itself as the imaging element or lens of the microscope. Cutting edge AI algorithms allow for fully automating the entire workflow from time-lapse imaging to proliferation and motility output parameters, leading to standardized protocols and constant conditions independent of the operator. We found, that heterogeneous cell culture conditions lead to an increase of variance during subsequent assays like omics-readouts. Enhancing the quality of cell culture ensures more reliable and reproducible results of subsequent experiments, like e.g. omics readouts, EC50 value determination, or treatment response. The approach of time-dependent multiparameter monitoring in real-time inside the incubator including the determination of key cell culture parameters including confluence, proliferation, and clustering as well as cell migration [3] further allows for standardization and hereby enhancement of the quality and reproducibility of different cell based assays, like wound healing assays, motility and proliferation assays, or spheroid growth monitoring. Continuous monitoring enhances the significance of toxicological and drug response assays compared to endpoint assays. Enabling faster and more reliable results of in vitro cell culture models, our approach contributes to the field of new approach methodologies in animal testing.
