Insider Insights with Dr. Shawn Alvarado

Shawn’s work ethos is driven by putting customers first.

She’s passionate about helping customers solve their research challenges and enjoys collaborating with those who share her love for science. This should come as no surprise. She once divulged that the best part about her job is the people.

In this post from our Insider Insights series—where experts share both their quick reactions and deep reflections on what it’ll take to prepare life scientists for what’s next—Shawn expresses her pride in the high-content screening technology advancements she’s seen during her nine years at Molecular Devices, and excitement around their limitless potential.

Inquiring minds want to know:

How have you seen the development of advanced high-content screening technology impact or improve the everyday lives of our customers?

Quick reaction: Researchers can now visualize and count 2D or 3D cells in their live state and identify different drug-induced phenotypes using integrated AI analysis in our high-content solution.

Deep reflection: When people come to Molecular Devices looking for high content screening instruments, it's usually because they have a problem or pain point around their workflow. This could be related to the time it takes to move through their samples or sample resolution. If you can't resolve what you're looking for or move through screens at the necessary speed, it directly affects your data collection.

Our customers are asking very specific questions with cell models, hoping the data will provide insight and answers. Integrating AI into our IN Carta Image Analysis Software with modules like SINAP and Phenoglyphs, has made a huge impact. You can now perform analysis without needing to develop your own pipeline for samples that traditionally lacked analysis algorithms. This allows you to examine 2D or 3D cells in their live state, determine their quantity, and understand how drugs impact different phenotypes. Our analysis package enables high-throughput screening— automating all imaging and batch analysis using AI models—which ultimately allows people to get more accurate answers to their questions faster.

With ImageXpress HCS.ai High-Content Screening System, this is all integrated into a seamless interface for customers. They can easily set up their high-content acquisition and then seamlessly kick off batch analysis through IN Carta Image Analysis Software. This recently launched screening system has improved sensitivity and speed for a wide variety of applications. Our previous software interface was very powerful but required more hands-on time for people to get comfortable using it. There was a barrier to adoption because users needed specific training or an onsite super user. Now, with just a little bit of an overview, people can really walk up and use it, making it more accessible to everyday researchers.

Why do you find this exciting?

Quick reaction: By making high-content screening technology easier to use, people are more likely to take advantage of it.

Deep reflection: I find it exciting because people make technological advances to solve problems. Whether that's to make things better, faster, or less expensive, you want your solutions to be widely adopted. If they're challenging to use, there's naturally going to be less adoption. I've seen the value of high content positively impact drug discovery, and it's exciting that it's now accessible to more people, even if they don't have a long history with imaging.

Ultimately, researchers want to answer their questions faster, share their data with the world, and understand if something isn't working. We want to help them best accomplish this goal.

What trends or customer feedback have driven innovation in this area?

Quick reaction: Making technology easy to use is crucial, especially for scientists who are accustomed to established methods and ways of operating in the lab.

Deep reflection: Over the last nine years at Molecular Devices, I've seen that people want something that's both plug-and-play and flexible. There's a tipping point just before flexibility makes it hard to use, or ease of use makes it inflexible. With the new ImageXpress HCS.ai High-Content Screening System, I feel like we've hit this sweet spot—just before it tips either way. You still have access to what made our MetaXpress Acquire High-Content Image Acquisition Software great. MetaXpress Acquire software is still flexible—offering the ability to dial in and manipulate different parameters—but the interface is refreshed and intuitive. It takes a lot to modernize a software interface and innovate something that's been around for 30 years in some form or another. But we were up for the challenge.

I've noticed that people want access to advanced technology, but if it becomes too complicated to use, they may hesitate to adopt it. We’re hyper-aware of the need to strike a balance between developing next-gen technology and ensuring its ease of use, especially for scientists who are accustomed to their established methods.

What common research challenges do customers face now, and how can advanced high-content screening technology open new opportunities?

Quick reaction: The advantage of the ImageXpress HCS.ai High-Content Screening System is its versatility. It can be relied on for a wide range of diverse applications and by multiple users.

Deep reflection: Researchers today face significant concerns around funding. The advantage of the ImageXpress HCS.ai High-Content Screening System is that, despite being an investment, it covers a wide range of applications and can be leveraged by multiple users.

Space is also a major issue for customers, especially in cities like Boston and San Francisco, where space is at a premium. Compared to other systems, ours can be placed on a lab bench, making it more accessible and easier to adopt. In my former territory, which included the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest, space is a significant challenge for customers, especially in new buildings where every square inch is utilized. Our benchtop system effectively addresses this issue.

And for those doing high-throughput screening in pharma, for example, our system allows for integration and expansion, providing a full walkaway solution. This makes it easier for researchers to adopt the technology and take advantage of its capabilities without needing extensive space or resources.

In a world where advanced high-content screening technologies reach their full potential, what do you envision happens next?

Quick reaction: We realize that there’s more potential to be reached, so we continue evolving, innovating, and giving customers what they need.

Deep reflection: In a world where advanced high-content screening technologies reach their full potential, I envision a seamless integration between different platforms to answer questions in ways we’ve not yet imagined. Customers will have better accessibility to consolidate all their data and formulate comprehensive answers from multiple angles.

Currently, it's challenging because various pieces of equipment need to be brought together, but high-content screening is one way to answer questions alongside other methods. I foresee a future where all that data becomes meaningful and easily accessible, and we keep on the path of evolving, innovating, and giving customers what they need to advance discovery.

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