UC Santa Cruz

The need for experimental replicates means biology research labs are oftengrowing many cell cultures in parallel. Monitoring the health of these cultures as they grow is important for avoiding costly interruptions in the research pipeline. Common approaches involve removing culture plates from incubator environments to view them under a microscope. This manipulation can stress cells and end up being disruptive to healthy growth environments. To facilitate non-disruptive automated cell culture monitoring, an open source framework for the design and deployment of parallel multi-channel microscopes was developed. Open Camera Array Microscopy (or openCArM) supports the design of multi- well parallel imaging systems composed of independent autonomous camera units. The framework defines module types that can be assembled together and config- ured for a given use case. One such configuration (the "Picroscope") performs in-incubator, longitudinal imaging studies on 24 well cell culture plates. "Picro- scope" devices have been used in experiments with samples ranging from Xenopus Tropicalis frog embryos to human cortex brain organoids. openCArM systems have a modular design that allows them to be built around other cell biology automation devices. Experiments have been run using the "Picroscope" combined with the "Autoculture" system, an automated cell culture feeding platform. To support these devices, a connected lab equipment management system was developed to provide experiment tracking, data analysis and equipment control. openCArM devices can be made out of low cost 3D printed materials and off-the-shelf imaging hardware, representing a significant step forward for the accessibility of cell culture automation systems.