Microscopy-based read-out of the clusters in the microwell array.

<p>As the cell clusters in the microwell array are aligned in the same z-plane, confocal imaging can be used to read-out cell behavior. The clusters were imaged at three different topographical planes; z1, z2 and z3 (A). This enables the evaluation of cell behavior at the single cell level and therefore the determination of multiple parameters (B). The lower right image shows nuclear fragmentation and BrdU incorporation levels within a cluster, which were used to assess apoptosis and proliferation, respectively, after treatment with taxol. Scale bar is 50 µm. (C) With this platform, cancer cell clusters formed with similar morhology independent of the protein coating, as shown here for MCF-7 cells on uncoated controls, collagen I and laminin. Note that in the uncoated control wells, multilayer cell cluster spread to a lesser extent in the x-y plane.