Live imaging module for organoids

Introduction

The increased use of organoids (22% growth rate market) creates a new need: methods of rapid high throughput screening of the organoids for quality control in the case where they are to be used as graft tissues or in drug screening trials. This need arises while ensuring that the organoids are not damaged, allowing them to be used for grafting or long-term follow-up for therapy efficacy evaluation or disease modeling applications.

Current Challenges

Current imaging methods for organoids do not meet this need as they are invasive and cause damage to the sample.

Proposed Solution

Our team of experts in optics and biology proposes a modular solution to live image 2D and 3D cell models with an unprecedented resolution and without the use of any kind of marker over a multiple week time span.

Dynamic Full Field Optical Coherence Tomography (DFFOCT)

Dynamic Full Field Optical Coherence Tomography (DFFOCT) is a non-invasive, 3D, label-free, live, long-term, high-resolution, modular imaging system, for which we own two patents.

• It is an interferometric technique where the image contrast is generated by movements of subcellular organelles such as mitochondria.
• This process produces a quantitative colormap linked to cell activity.

Project Goals

The present Proof of Concept project “LiveOrg” seeks to valorize the live imaging method developed for retinal organoids in the ERC Consolidator “Optoretina” and disseminate this technology to a wide audience outside of the retina, including:

1. Cancer
2. Neurology
3. Gastroenterology
4. Hematology
5. Development

Team Consolidation

The LiveOrg project specifically aims to consolidate the team by:

• Hiring an engineer dedicated to the design, construction, and installation of DFFOCT modules.
• Duplicating the DFFOCT module.
• Installing the modules at Key Opinion Leader (KOL) sites.
• Acquiring and analyzing data with these modules in collaboration with the KOLs to disseminate results.

Future Prospects

Thanks to this project, we anticipate that we may attract interest from investors, which would allow us to create a startup. Additionally, we hope to gain interest from known microscope manufacturers who could distribute our modules or to whom we could license our patents.