Our technology maximizes throughput and reproducibility to give researchers more answers and greater insights faster
For every drug that makes it to the finish line, another nine don’t succeed. This alarming failure rate can be traced to reliance on 2D cell cultures that don’t closely mimic complex human biology, often leading to inaccurate predictions of a drug’s potential and extended drug development timelines.
The drug discovery landscape is shifting, with more scientists centering cell line development, disease models, and high-throughput screening methods around physiologically-relevant 3D cell models. The reason for this is clear: Using cellular model systems in research that closely mimic patient disease states or human organs can bring life-saving therapeutics to market – faster.
Our Organoid Innovation Center was envisioned as a lab of the future—a collaborative space where automated cell line development and 3D biology workflows unite, enabling customers and industry partners to scale drug discovery research with a high-throughput screening solution.

Watch Dr Oksana Sirenko, Senior Scientist at Molecular Devices, explain how 3D cell models and high-content imaging are helping to advance Drug Discovery
The importance of high-throughput screening during the early drug discovery process
High Throughput Screening (HTS) involves testing a compound library set against a biological target. Screening involves replicating 1000s of biochemical reactions to test 100,000s of drug compound targets systemically using a wide range of concentrations. HTS scientists are determining what range of concentration will inhibit or promote a desired outcome without causing toxic effects to the animal model. A variety of biochemical, cellular, and ion channel assays are performed to determine the efficacy of a particular compound. The biochemical reactions that are investigated include protein activity, binding efficiency, cellular toxicity or phenotypic changes as well as cell signaling readouts.
HTS is a time-consuming process. It requires evaluating several scientific parameters—all of which are critical to ensure candidate drugs advance down the pipeline. It is also a costly process, so any ability to optimize the throughput and scale in terms of volume or number of tests done per day is critical to accelerating time to market or next stage evaluation.
Automated, end-to-end solution for 3D biology workflows
Drug discovery relies heavily on high-throughput assays with a relevant window for measuring the effects of candidate drugs. 3D cell models, are expected to revolutionize the output from early drug discovery which can potentially result in better qualified early selection of lead candidates and, subsequently, improved R&D productivity.
Molecular Devices integrates microplate readers, high-content imaging systems, clone picking technologies, and advanced analysis software with lab automation—including robotics, incubation, and liquid handling—to drive better experiments, allow researchers to easily mine complex data for insights, and help shape the future of drug discovery.

Featured research topics to optimize your drug discovery and development process
Our integrated hardware and software solutions enable automated workflows – from start to finish – for any research application. Whether the focus is cell line development, 3D biology, or drug screening – our technology maximizes throughput and reproducibility to give researchers more answers and greater insights faster.
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2D to 3D Cell Culture
There has been a recent shift toward using 3D cell models in drug discovery and disease modeling, as numerous studies show they better mimic the in vivo environment and provide more physiologically-relevant data than 2D models.
- Article: Making the move from 2D to 3D cell culture: an interview with Molecular Devices’ Jayne Hesley and Jeff McMillan
- Webinar: Getting started with imaging 3D cell models, A collaboration with Molecular Devices and MIMETAS
- Webinar: Transitioning high-content assays to 3D: Scientific opportunities & imaging challenges
3D Cell Imaging and Analysis
Three-dimensional (3D) cell models are physiologically relevant and more closely represent tissue microenvironments, cell-to-cell interactions, and biological processes that occur in vivo. Now you can generate more predictive data by incorporating technologies like the ImageXpress system with the integrated 3D Analysis Module in MetaXpress® software. This single interface will enable you to meet 3D acquisition and analysis challenges without compromise to throughput or data quality, giving you confidence in your discoveries.
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3D Cell Models
3D cell cultures offer the advantage of closely recapitulating aspects of human tissues including the architecture, cell organization, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and more physiologically-relevant diffusion characteristics. Utilization of 3D cellular assays adds value to research and screening campaigns, spanning the translational gap between 2D cell cultures and whole-animal models. By reproducing important parameters of the in vivo environment, 3D models can provide unique insight into the behavior of stem cells and developing tissues in vitro.
Cell Health
Cell viability refers to the number of healthy cells in a population and can be evaluated using assays that measure enzyme activity, cell membrane integrity, ATP production, and other indicators. These methods can employ luminescent, fluorescent, or colorimetric readouts as indicators of general cell viability or even specific cellular pathways. Cytotoxicity and cell viability assays are often used to assess a drug or other treatment’s effect, and are valuable tools in the search for new therapeutics, as well as advancing our understanding of how normal cells function.
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Cell Painting
Cell Painting is a high-content, multiplexed image-based assay used for cytological profiling. In a Cell Painting assay, up to six fluorescent dyes are used to label different components of the cell including the nucleus, the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, cytoskeleton, the Golgi apparatus, and RNA. The goal is to “paint” as much of the cell as possible to capture a representative image of the whole cell.
Cell Signaling
Cellular signaling allows cells to respond to their environment and communicate with other cells. Proteins located on the cell surface can receive signals from their surroundings and transmit information into the cell via a series of receptors, kinases, transcription factors, and other regulatory proteins that include signaling pathways. Multicellular organisms rely on an extensive array of signaling pathways to coordinate the proper growth, regulation, and function of cells and tissues. If signaling between or within cells is dysregulated, inappropriate cellular responses may lead to cancer and other diseases.
Many tools have been developed to measure cellular responses occurring through a wide range of signaling pathways. As an example, G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling can be studied using assays ranging from calcium flux, which can be monitored using fluorescence dyes, to changes in downstream effector molecules assessed by TR-FRET.
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Disease Modeling
Understanding the biology of human diseases is crucial to find effective treatment, and cell lines derived from cancer tissues help develop better anti-cancer drugs. However, now there is a pressing need to increase complexity and relevance of cell-based models to more accurately predict the effects of new drug candidates. Genetically engineered human or animal cells that carry disease mutation display all or some of the pathological processes observed in actual human disease. Designing 3D models that mimic tissues and cell interactions allows researchers to better predict drug effects. 3D cell models, including spheroids, organoids, and organ-on-a-chip, can be built from established cell lines derived from iPSC cells or patient derived cells. Cells can be derived from patient tissue representing rare type of cancer, or genetically modified to introduce or repair disease-related genes.
- Webinar: Establishing and imaging 3D oncology models
- Webinar: Disease modeling in the 21st century: Automated organoid assays with 3D imaging
- Publication: Disease Modeling with 3D Cell-Based Assays Using a Novel Flowchip System and High-Content Imaging
- Webinar: Capturing the complexity of 3D biology: Organoids for disease modelling and toxicity research
- Poster: Novel assay methods for cancer patient derived organoids
- Customer Breakthrough: Bioneer use the ImageXpress Micro Confocal for high-throughput imaging of 3D disease models
- Webinar: High-throughput, organoid-derived organ-on-a-chip systems for drug discovery and disease modelling
Label-free Assays
Traditional drug discovery screening assays can be detrimental to cell health and lead to interactions that can compromise data integrity. While fluorescence, luminescence, and radioactive assays can provide valuable data, there are substantial downsides as well. With advances in screening, label-free assays have been developed that do not require dyes or specialized reagents and instead can measure live cells for targets of interest in a more efficient, less disruptive way.
- Direct screening cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities of drug compounds on human leukemia U937 cell
- Label-free cell segmentation with IN Carta SINAP application module
- The diverse utility of CloneSelect Imager in label-free imaging applications
- Deep Learning-based Image Analysis for Label-free Live Monitoring of iPSC and 3D Organoid Cultures
- Novel assay methods for cancer patient derived organoids
- Quantification of spheroid growth and morphology
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Stem Cell Research
Stem cells provide researchers with new opportunities to study targets and pathways that are more relevant to disease processes. They oer a more realistic model to identify and confirm new drug targets and generate pharmacology and toxicology data earlier, with stronger translation to the clinical setting. Additionally, the application of stem cells in drug development creates a new path to personalized medicine, while at the same time reducing, or even potentially replacing, animal testing.
Toxicology
Toxicology is the study of adverse effects of natural or man-made chemicals on living organism. It is a growing concern in our world today as we are exposed to more and more chemicals, both in our environment and in the products we use.
Latest Resources
Resources for Drug Discovery and Development
Scientific Poster
Automating high-throughput screens using patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids
Automating high-throughput screens using patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids
Most potential oncology drugs fail at the later stages of the drug development pipeline and in clinical trials, despite having promising data for their efficacy in vitro. This high failure r…
Application Note
Novel patient-derived colorectal cancer organoid platform for automated high-throughput drug discovery applications
Novel patient-derived colorectal cancer organoid platform for automated high-throughput drug discovery applications
Patient derived organoids (PDOs) represent a promising tool to reduce pipeline attrition in drug discovery. These tumor organoids are multicellular mini replicas of the 3D tumor and has…
Application Note
Automating high-throughput screens using patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids
Automating high-throughput screens using patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids
Many oncology drugs fail at the later stages of the drug development pipeline and in clinical trials, despite promising data for their efficacy in vitro. This high failure rate is partly…
Scientific Poster
Leverage automated workflows to enable complex organoid assays
Leverage automated workflows to enable complex organoid assays
3D organoids are increasingly popular in drug discovery and disease modeling as they better represent biologically relevant microenvironments, tissue architecture, and functionality. However…
Scientific Poster
Single-cell dispensing and screening of cell lines for monoclonality verification using the impedance-based single-cell dispenser and high-throughput fluorescence-based imager
Single-cell dispensing and screening of cell lines for monoclonality verification using the impedance-based single-cell dispenser and high-throughput fluorescence-based imager
There is an unmet need in the industry for a device that allows the fast and efficient isolation of single cells while preserving their integrity and providing insurance for their clonality.…
Scientific Poster
Automation of 3D bioprinting assays for high-content imaging and assessment of compound effects
Automation of 3D bioprinting assays for high-content imaging and assessment of compound effects
The automation of the 3D cell models results in a significant reduction in the time and effort involved, as well as an increase in assay precision and throughput. Here we describe methods fo…
Scientific Poster
Novel analysis of neural outgrowth in 3D human brain micro-tissues with application in compound screening
Novel analysis of neural outgrowth in 3D human brain micro-tissues with application in compound screening
Organotypic three-dimensional (3D) cultures resemble native 3D tissue architecture and are believed to be more representative of real tissues than their 2D (monolayer) counterparts, thus pro…
Application Note
To achieve over 5 fold of human IgG protein detection signal enhancement with 1 round of CloneDetect K8495 assay optimization
To achieve over 5 fold of human IgG protein detection signal enhancement with 1 round of CloneDetect K8495 assay optimization
Protein G (Pro G) is a large cell surface binding protein that has a repeating 55-residue domain that binds with high affinity to the FC region of IgG. Together with Protein A (Pro A),…
Blog
How 3D Cell Models Will Shape the Future of Drug Discovery
How 3D Cell Models Will Shape the Future of Drug Discovery
Target discovery and drug development rely heavily on 2D cell and animal models to decipher efficacy and toxic effect of drug candidates. Yet, 90% of candidates fail to make it past…
News
Molecular Devices inks deal with HUB Organoids to advance automated intestinal organoid screening technology
Molecular Devices inks deal with HUB Organoids to advance automated intestinal organoid screening technology
SAN JOSE, Calif., and UTRECHT, Netherlands, Feb. 13, 2023 – Molecular Devices, LLC., a leading provider of high-performance life science solutions, and HUB Organoids (HUB), the pioneer in th…
Blog
A case study for assay-ready patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and high-throughput 3D imaging to advance drug discovery
A case study for assay-ready patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and high-throughput 3D imaging to advance drug discovery
Introduction – the problem. The average cost of bringing a new drug to the clinic is around $1 billion according to a study conducted by the London School of Economics in March 2020…
Application Note
Monitoring of T-cell invasions assay using a 3D spheroid model
Monitoring of T-cell invasions assay using a 3D spheroid model
T-cell therapies are designed to help our immune system eliminate cancer cells. Those include CAR T-cells (Chimeric Antigen Receptor engineered T-cells), tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL…
Publications
Gene editing in organoids: accounting for complexity in drug discovery
Gene editing in organoids: accounting for complexity in drug discovery
More researchers are using gene editing to build disease models that better represent human tissues' complex biology, signaling a shift away from 2D cell culture or animal models to organoid…
Publications
Bioprinting Automation for Drug Discovery to Be Developed by Molecular Devices and Advanced Solutions
Bioprinting Automation for Drug Discovery to Be Developed by Molecular Devices and Advanced Solutions
3DPrint.com, the leading source for actionable intelligence related to 3D printing technology and the larger AM industry, covers our collaboration with Advanced Solutions to develop 3D biolo…
Publications
Improving Drug Development: Molecular Devices and Cellesce Aim to Advance the Use of Organoids
Improving Drug Development: Molecular Devices and Cellesce Aim to Advance the Use of Organoids
Following our acquisition of Cellesce Ltd, Tanya Samazan from Instrument Business Outlook dove deep into conversation with Molecular Devices President Susan Murphy and Cellesce CEO Vicky Mar…
News
Molecular Devices and Advanced Solutions Life Sciences collaborate to develop 3D Biology Automation Technologies for Drug Discovery
Molecular Devices and Advanced Solutions Life Sciences collaborate to develop 3D Biology Automation Technologies for Drug Discovery
Turnkey platform integrates flexible robotic automation with high-content imaging of complex 3D cellular models, enabling high-volume organoid screening SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 4, 2023 – Mole…
Application Note
Imaging characterization of a 3D bioprinted ovarian cancer model
Imaging characterization of a 3D bioprinted ovarian cancer model
3D bioprinting is defined as the additive deposition of cells and biocompatible materials to build biologically functional 3D structure or artificial tissue models
Brochure
BioAssemblyBot 400 (BAB400): more than a bioprinter
BioAssemblyBot 400 (BAB400): more than a bioprinter
The BioAssemblyBot® 400 is an intelligent robot used by life scientists to build 3D model systems with increased throughput and precision, alleviating major concerns mentioned above.
News
Molecular Devices adds proprietary patient-derived organoid technology with acquisition of Cellesce
Molecular Devices adds proprietary patient-derived organoid technology with acquisition of Cellesce
First-of-its-kind technology from Cellesce creates consistent patient-derived organoids for large scale drug screening Acquisition strengthens Molecular Devices’ position as a 3D biology sol…
Publications
Overcoming ‘Analysis Paralysis’ in Cell Painting With Artificial Intelligence
Overcoming ‘Analysis Paralysis’ in Cell Painting With Artificial Intelligence
Gone are the days of only measuring single parameters in cell-based experiments. Instead, researchers should widen their focus, namely with the help of innovations like the Cell Painting ass…
Scientific Poster
Image-based phenotypic profiling using Cell Painting in a 3D breast cancer spheroid model
Image-based phenotypic profiling using Cell Painting in a 3D breast cancer spheroid model
Most potential oncology drugs fail the drug development pipeline, despite having promising data for their efficacy in vitro. This further incentivize the need for identifying in vitro models…
Application Note
Automated dispensing, monitoring, and assay development of hydrogel-based cellular models
Automated dispensing, monitoring, and assay development of hydrogel-based cellular models
3D cellular models that more accurately represent various microenvironments are incredibly important for accurate drug screening and disease modeling.
Scientific Poster
Automation for organoid assays – An integrated system with high-content imaging
Automation for organoid assays – An integrated system with high-content imaging
Three-dimensional (3D) cell models that represent various tissues are being successfully used in drug discovery and disease modeling to study complex biological effects and tissue architectu…
Publications
How cardioids can usher in the next generation of drug discovery
How cardioids can usher in the next generation of drug discovery
We recently partnered with HeartBeat.bio to automate and scale the production of cardioids — 3D cell models of the heart that can more accurately recapitulate human biology. Labiotech.eu spo…
Publications
What an innovation centre means for 3D biology
What an innovation centre means for 3D biology
In April 2021, we launched our Organoid Innovation Centre (OIC), an initiative designed to help scientists leverage the potential of 3D biology throughout the drug discovery process. On our…
eBook
Building complexity in organoid models
Building complexity in organoid models
Complex biological systems such as spheroids, organoids, and organ-on-a-chip are becoming more popular for disease modeling and drug screening as they better simulate organs and tissues comp…
Publications
Q&A: What the transition away from animal testing could mean for drug discovery
Q&A: What the transition away from animal testing could mean for drug discovery
In September, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which would lift an 84-year-old federal mandate for animal testing for toxicity studies. While the bill doesn’…
News
Molecular Devices expands global R&D hub in Austria
Molecular Devices expands global R&D hub in Austria
Larger site will be future home of the Organoid Innovation Center – Salzburg, a collaborative space for advancing automated cell line development, organoid development, and screening solutio…
Brochure
Molecular Devices: A life sciences company
Molecular Devices: A life sciences company
Molecular Devices
Application Note
Automated Monitoring of Development and Activity Analysis of iPSC-derived 3D Cerebral Organoids
Automated Monitoring of Development and Activity Analysis of iPSC-derived 3D Cerebral Organoids
The human brain is highly complex which makes it challenging to study both in vitro and in-model organisms. Cultured neurons do not sufficiently recapitulate the three-dimensional (3D)…
News
Molecular Devices and HeartBeat.bio announce collaboration to automate and scale cardiac organoids for high-throughput screening in drug discovery
Molecular Devices and HeartBeat.bio announce collaboration to automate and scale cardiac organoids for high-throughput screening in drug discovery
SAN JOSE, Calif., and VIENNA, Sept. 12, 2022 – Molecular Devices, LLC., a leading provider of high-performance life science solutions, and HeartBeat.bio AG, a biotech company developing card…
Application Note
AI enabled phenotypic analysis of label-free intestinal organoids
AI enabled phenotypic analysis of label-free intestinal organoids
The intestinal crypt system is an important part of the intestinal organoid where mature organoids have more complex and numerous crypt structures. Yet, due to their high turnover rate and…
Scientific Poster
Structural organization in 3D human iPSC-derived cardiac tri-culture microtissues
Structural organization in 3D human iPSC-derived cardiac tri-culture microtissues
The human heart is a complex organ providing highly regulated processes of moving blood through the body. The adult human ventricle is comprised of cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, fibrobl…
Application Note
Measure dual-luciferase reporter gene activity with the SpectraMax Mini Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
Measure dual-luciferase reporter gene activity with the SpectraMax Mini Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
Firefly luciferase is a widely used reporter to study gene regulation and function. It is a very sensitive reporter due to the lack of any endogenous luciferase activity in mammalian cells…
Application Note
Deep Learning-based Image Analysis for Label-free Live Monitoring of iPSC and 3D Organoid Cultures
Deep Learning-based Image Analysis for Label-free Live Monitoring of iPSC and 3D Organoid Cultures
Complex 3D biological models such as organoids and patient-derived spheroids are gaining popularity in many biomedical research areas because they more closely recapitulate the in vivo…
Application Note
Direct screening cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities of drug compounds on human leukemia U937 cell
Direct screening cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities of drug compounds on human leukemia U937 cell
A fast, reliable and cost-effective high-throughput screening method for antiproliferation and toxicology evaluation in the early stage of drug discovery is highly attractive. The…
Publications
Disease Modeling with 3D Cell-Based Assays Using a Novel Flowchip System and High-Content Imaging
Disease Modeling with 3D Cell-Based Assays Using a Novel Flowchip System and High-Content Imaging
There is an increasing interest in using three-dimensional (3D) cell structures for modeling tumors, organs, and tissue to accelerate translational research. We describe here a novel automat…
Scientific Poster
Novel assay methods for cancer patient derived organoids
Novel assay methods for cancer patient derived organoids
In recent years, researchers have transitioned from traditional 2D assays to more complex 3D cell models, as they are shown to recapitulate the in vivo environment and serve as a more predic…
Application Note
Quantification of spheroid growth and morphology
Quantification of spheroid growth and morphology
There is a growing trend to develop screening assays using three-dimensional (3D) cell culture.
Application Note
HTRF IP-One Gq assay on SpectraMax Readers
HTRF IP-One Gq assay on SpectraMax Readers
HTRF® is a versatile technology developed by Cisbio Bioassays for detecting biomolecular interactions.
Publications
Making the move from 2D to 3D
Making the move from 2D to 3D
Jayne Hesley is a Senior Applications Scientist for Cellular Imaging at Molecular Devices, LLC. She has over 10 years’ experience developing cell-based applications using ImageXpress Micro h…
Application Note
Characterization of hERG channel blockers using the FLIPR Potassium Assay Kit on the FLIPR Tetra System
Characterization of hERG channel blockers using the FLIPR Potassium Assay Kit on the FLIPR Tetra System
Drug-induced inhibition of the human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG) ion channel has been related to the susceptibility of patients to potentially fatal ventricular tachyarrhythmia,…
Videos & Webinars

High-throughput, organoid-derived organ-on-a-chip systems for drug discovery and disease modelling

Getting started with imaging 3D cell models – all you need to know