CytoSMART to donate 100 live-cell imaging systems to assist COVID-19 researchers

CytoSMART Technologies is said to donate 100 mini live-cell imaging systems to researchers in high-containment labs worldwide. Labs working to combat COVID-19 will benefit from this initiative, as CytoSMART aims to reduce the huge workload currently facing researchers on projects vital to controlling the disease.

We aim to do our part to assist researchers in minimizing the time they have to spent in high-containment labs by providing them with remote video access to evaluate the health of their cell cultures.

According to guidelines by the CDC and the WHO, isolation and characterization of COVID-19 should be performed in BSL-3 laboratories. Performing research in Biosafety Level 3 and 4 laboratories (BSL3 or BSL4) means working in a highly controlled area. Many precautionary measures have to be taken to ensure the safety of researchers and help prevent the diseases they are working with from spreading outside the lab. Removing and replacing the protective clothing and apparatus can be time consuming and expensive, so entering the lab should ideally only occur when absolutely necessary.

CytoSMART’s unique, compact live-cell microscopes can film living cells without disturbing their growth or natural behaviour. The device operates from inside cell culture incubators and is accessible from an online environment, enabling researchers to analyze their cell cultures remotely and assess the next steps, without the need to set foot in the laboratory.

Said Joffry Maltha, CEO at CytoSMART “We need to help scientists who are working in BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories to combat COVID-19. We know that our system can help researchers in monitoring cell growth and deciding when they need to go to the high containment labs and run further experiments.

The work of such labs is absolutely essential in the fight against COVID-19 and it’s important to us as an organization to help where we can. This useful tool can support them in their hard work, by helping to save precious time and equipment by knowing exactly when to enter the lab.”

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