Microscoop™ is a novel spatial biology platform offers unique capabilities for spatial proteomics studies. The technology platform can be applied to both cell- and tissue-based samples, making it broadly applicable to many basic and clinical research fields including oncology, immunotherapy, neuroscience, immunology, infectious disease, and developmental biology.

SYNCELL will offer Microscoop™ to limited customers in the US and Taiwan through an early access program beginning in Q1 2022. The full commercial release is scheduled for early 2023.

The Microscoop™ platform includes an electrical control module, an optical module, a two-photon microscope and a computer.

For very small subcellular structures, it might be necessary to develop a custom AI image processing algorithm for best photolabeling results. However, many of the cellular and subcellular structures can be efficiently recognized by traditional computer visioning tools included in our image processing software toolbox.

Many of the cellular and subcellular structures can be efficiently recognized by traditional computer visioning tools. Please read our user manual to find suggestions on how to adapt your imaging program to the Microscoop™ or call our customer support for more information.

The images one uses to develop an AI algorithm should be representative of the actual cell or tissue samples that will be used for photolabeling. Avoid using confluent cell culture slides or cut tissue sections with very uneven thickness or folds.

Training with more images will improve the accuracy of an AI algorithm to identify desired structures and patterns. We have used as few as 10 images to several hundred images to successfully train a custom AI algorithm.

Microscoop™ user interface (UI) software includes a computer visioning toolkit for users to choose imaging modules that are suitable for their projects. We also offer an image processing training webinar to help users jump start their imaging program. In addition, we offer advanced training classes (for one person or a group) as well as customized services (as part of the GRASP customer service program) to develop imaging solutions tailored to user’s project.

We typically grow our cell cultures on chamber slides (with glass bottom, thickness <170 μm). Tissue sections can be collected on 2-6 slides.

Fixed cells and FFPE (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded) or frozen tissue sections are all suitable for use with the Microscoop™.

For FFPE tissues, we typically use 5-10µm sections.

The photolabeling time is application-driven. If the targeted structure is greater than 3 μm in both length and width, and at least one targeted structure is present in a cell, it will take about 24 hours to label 4×105 cells to collect enough cells for a LC-MS analysis. If the targeted structure is finite and sparse in the targeted sample area, it will take more sample slides and longer photolabeling time. Typically, we suggest starting with 1×106 cells to optimize the workflow from photolabeling to LC-MS analysis for this type of sample.

Nanoscale liquid chromatography system coupled with a middle or high-end mass spectrometer (MS) is recommended for the analysis of Microscoop™ photolabeled samples. If the targeted structure is greater than 3 μm in both length and width, and at least one such structure is present in a cell, the samples can be analyzed using a MS with ~10 Hz of MS/MS acquisition rate, such as Q-exactive™ Plus (Thermo Fisher Scientific). When the targeted structure is tiny or sparse, we recommend analyzing the sample with a MS which features >20 Hz of MS/MS acquisition rate, such as Orbitrap Fusion™ Lumos™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific), Orbitrap Eclipse™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific), timsTOF (Bruker), TripleTOF® (SCIEX), ZenTOF (SCIEX).

Microscoop™ is a novel spatial biology platform with unique capabilitiesfor de novo spatial proteomics study. The technology platform can be applied to both cell- and tissue-based samples, making it broadly applicable to many basic and clinical research fields including oncology, cancer immunotherapy, neuroscience, immunology, infectious disease, inflammatory disease and developmental biology.

GRASP stands for Global Rapid Access Service Program which is a customer service program SYNCELL offers to global customers to provide quick and easy access to Microscoop™. The GRASP offers researchers an option to use SYNCELL’s expert service to obtain novel spatial proteomics data to advance their research.

SYNCELL’s GRASP offers spatial proteomics service to global customers using our proprietary Microscoop™ platform technology with the customer's own cell or tissue samples.
The Microscoop™ workflow is as follows:

Customer will first fill out a project submission form and SYNCELL will contact the customer to discuss project details and service process. To learn more about the GRASP service, please contact us at Service@syncell.com

There are three different GRASP service options, based on your needs, indicated below.
Option 1: Image processing service

This service option includes the creation of a custom imaging mask based on the images submitted by the customer. SYNCELL will validate that the custom program can identify customer selected targets with high precision and accuracy. The customer can then upload the imaging algorithm to the Microscoop™ UI and be ready for the wet lab process

Option 2: Image processing + Photolabeling service

This service option includes the image processing option plus using the algorithm in the Microscoop™ to photolabel samples provided by the customer. SYNCELL will mail the photolabeled slides back to the customer. The customer can then conduct mass spectrometry analysis to identify the proteome from the targeted area

Option 3: Image processing + Photolabeling + Mass spectrometry service

This service option provides an end-to-end spatial proteomics solutionr. Customers will receive a service report with mass spectrometry data that they can use to further explore or verify their biomarker data.

The project information and biospecimens we need for each project will depend on the nature of the project and the required level of service. For a service inquiry, please fill out the request form and include 3-5 images of your targeted organelle or cell type. We will use the initial information to assess the project and move towards creating a project proposal.

This depends on the service option selected (Imaging process, photolabeling, mass spectrometry). We will work with the customer to estimate the required time and resources to conduct the project from start to finish.