Donnelly Centre Biomolecular Visualization Core (BioViz)
The Donnelly Centre Biomolecular Visualization Core (BioViz)is a state-of-the-art high-content imaging facility supporting both mammalian and yeast cell research.
Examples of services include:
High-content imaging for protein localization in yeast and human cells
Live cell imaging on 384-well plates
Analysis of cell morphology changes in high throughput
Computational analysis of protein localization changes
High-throughput mammalian cell transfection and imaging on 384-well plates
High-throughput lentiviral infection on 384-well plates
We have worked together with laboratory automation companies to develop and implement highly customized platforms that provide a flexible solution to any imaging needs. The laboratory automation solutions enable high-throughput workflows for both mammalian and yeast cells, sample processing, and high-content imaging. Our instrumentation includes:
High content microscopy
Two Perkin Elmer Opera Phenix spinning disc confocal microscope systems for automated acquisition of images
Automated liquid handling and workflow integration
Liquid handling robotics platform that enables fully automated, complex workflows that can be customized to each client. All instruments are coordinated by a Thermo Spinnaker Microplate Mover and Momentum workflow scheduling software. Instruments include:
Biotek ELx406 plate washer/dispenser
Biotek MultiFlo Fx dispenser
Tecan EVO 100 liquid handling robot
BioTek Synergy2 plate reader
Thermo Cytomat automated incubator with CO2 and temperature control (4–50°C) modules.
Yeast screening and colony handling
A fleet of 10 BioMatrix robots for replica-pinning yeast arrays. The robots were designed in collaboration and commercialized with S&P Robotics (http://www.sprobotics.com/). The robotic capacity allows completion of ~200 genome-wide yeast screens per month, a throughput that is unique internationally.
Two custom-designed robots for liquid handling of microbial cultures and for yeast transformation.
A colony-picking robot for cherry-picking and rearraying yeast colonies, again a unique instrument designed in collaboration with S&P Robotics.
A Singer RoToR robot developed in collaboration with Singer Instruments (http://www.singerinst.co.uk/test/index.php). The robot is used for preparing yeast arrays for specific screens and for pilot experiments.
Publication highlights
J. Lacoste, M. Haghighi, S. Haider, C. Reno, Z.-Y. Lin, D. Segal, W. W. Qian, X. Xiong, T. Teelucksingh, E. Miglietta, H. Shafqat-Abbasi, P. V. Ryder, R. Senft, B. A. Cimini, R. R. Murray, C. Nyirakanani, T. Hao, G. G. McClain, F. P. Roth, M. A. Calderwood, D. E. Hill, M. Vidal, S. S. Yi, N. Sahni, J. Peng, A.-C. Gingras, S. Singh, A. E. Carpenter, M. Taipale, Pervasive mislocalization of pathogenic coding variants underlying human disorders. Cell, S0092-8674(24)01021–3 (2024).
A. Litsios, B. T. Grys, O. Z. Kraus, H. Friesen, C. Ross, M. P. D. Masinas, D. T. Forster, M. T. Couvillion, S. Timmermann, M. Billmann, C. Myers, N. Johnsson, L. S. Churchman, C. Boone, B. J. Andrews, Proteome-scale movements and compartment connectivity during the eukaryotic cell cycle. Cell 187, 1490-1507.e21 (2024).
Y. T. Chong, J. L. Y. Koh, H. Friesen, K. Duffy, M. J. Cox, A. Moses, J. Moffat, C. Boone, B. J. Andrews, Yeast Proteome Dynamics from Single Cell Imaging and Automated Analysis. Cell 161, 1413–1424 (2015).
M. Mattiazzi Usaj, C. H. L. Yeung, H. Friesen, C. Boone, B. J. Andrews, Single-cell image analysis to explore cell-to-cell heterogeneity in isogenic populations. Cell Syst 12, 608–621 (2021).
A. Razdaibiedina, A. Brechalov, H. Friesen, M. Mattiazzi Usaj, M. P. D. Masinas, H. Garadi Suresh, K. Wang, C. Boone, J. Ba, B. Andrews, PIFiA: self-supervised approach for protein functional annotation from single-cell imaging data. Mol Syst Biol 20, 521–548 (2024).
O. Z. Kraus, B. T. Grys, J. Ba, Y. Chong, B. J. Frey, C. Boone, B. J. Andrews, Automated analysis of high-content microscopy data with deep learning. Mol Syst Biol 13, 924 (2017).
M. P. D. Masinas, A. Litsios, A. Razdaibiedina, M. Usaj, C. Boone, B. J. Andrews, Expanding TheCellVision.org: a central repository for visualizing and mining high-content cell imaging projects. Genetics 227, iyae044 (2024).
