TL;DR: The EVOS FL Auto 2 and Cellomics ArrayScan are established automated imaging platforms with concrete, peer-reviewed track records across major disease areas. ArrayScan is the predecessor of the CellInsight CX7 high-content screening line, while the FL Auto 2 evolved into the EVOS M7000 live-cell imaging platform. This article reviews specific studies — not broad generalisations — showing how these systems have been used to profile glioblastoma drug responses, quantify neuronal morphology changes, screen antiviral compounds, and measure endothelial migration.
Two related but distinct platforms
The EVOS FL Auto 2 is an inverted automated fluorescence microscope designed for multi-well plate imaging and time-lapse experiments. It shares the live-cell, environmentally controlled imaging philosophy of the later EVOS M7000, using software-driven plate scanning and an onstage incubator.
The Cellomics ArrayScan is a high-content screening (HCS) system that captures multi-channel fluorescence images from thousands of cells and extracts single-cell features such as intensity, texture, morphology and localisation. It is the predecessor platform to the CellInsight CX7 HCS line.
Both systems are still used in UK and international labs, and both continue to appear in peer-reviewed publications. The studies below illustrate what each platform actually contributed to disease research, rather than simply listing the disease areas in which it has been mentioned.
Cancer research: profiling drug response in glioblastoma and tumour-cell proliferation
High-content screening transformed oncology by making it possible to profile compound effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, morphology and signalling in a single multi-well assay. A concrete ArrayScan example comes from Yu et al. (PLoS One, 2018), who used high-content imaging of patient-derived glioblastoma cell lines to screen non-standard chemotherapeutic agents. Their automated imaging workflow allowed them to compare drug sensitivity across genetically distinct patient lines, highlighting compounds that might otherwise be overlooked in standard cell-line panels. The study shows how ArrayScan-style HCS can link phenotypic drug response to tumour heterogeneity.
Earlier work by Bhawé et al. (SLAS Discovery, 2004) established an automated image-capture and quantitation approach to identify proteins affecting tumour-cell proliferation. Using automated fluorescence imaging and object counting, the authors demonstrated that image-based proliferation assays could be run at sufficient throughput to support target-discovery projects. This remains a foundational example of how ArrayScan-style analysis turned microscopy into a quantitative screening tool.
The FL Auto 2 contributes to cancer research through live-cell imaging of migration, proliferation and reporter assays. Its onstage incubator allows multi-day observation of tumour spheroids, co-cultures and drug-response kinetics without repeatedly moving plates to a separate incubator.
Neuroscience and neurodegeneration: neurite outgrowth, axon regeneration and amyloid-β toxicity
Neurodegenerative disease is difficult to model because it involves slow cellular changes, protein aggregation and network dysfunction. Automated imaging helps by capturing neurite outgrowth, synapse formation and protein aggregation over time, with ArrayScan HCS providing the statistical power of thousands of neurons per condition.
Qian et al. (Journal of Neuroscience, 2006) used a high-content neuronal morphology assay to test agonist monoclonal antibodies against TrkB receptors. Their automated imaging readout showed that these antibodies promoted neurotrophic activity, providing phenotypic evidence that a receptor-targeting approach could influence neuronal survival and morphology.
Nguyen et al. (SLAS Discovery, 2012) developed a phenotypic screening assay that quantified amyloid-β-mediated changes in primary neuronal morphology. By automatically measuring neurite length, branching and cell-body morphology after amyloid-β exposure, the authors created a model system suitable for screening modulators of amyloid toxicity — directly relevant to Alzheimer’s disease drug discovery.
Blackmore et al. (PLoS One, 2010) applied high-content screening of cortical neurons to identify novel regulators of axon growth. Their ArrayScan-based neurite-outgrowth assay implicated specific genes and pathways that control axon regeneration, demonstrating that unbiased phenotypic screening can generate mechanistic hypotheses in neurobiology.
The FL Auto 2 supports similar neuroscience applications through longer live-cell experiments with iPSC-derived neurons and glial co-cultures, capturing time-dependent changes that endpoint assays miss.
Infectious disease and immunology: antiviral screens and host-pathogen interactions
Automated imaging is a mainstay of infection biology because it can quantify pathogen replication, host-cell survival and antiviral compound activity across many wells. ArrayScan HCS has been used for phenotypic screens of host-pathogen interactions, while the FL Auto 2 captures time-lapse infection kinetics and fluorescent reporter expression in living cells.
Brickelmaier et al. (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2009) used a Cellomics ArrayScan VTI high-content imaging assay to evaluate mefloquine efficacy against JC polyomavirus in vitro. By automatically scoring infected cells across multiple fields, they showed that mefloquine reduced viral infection in a dose-dependent manner — an example of repurposing an existing drug using an image-based antiviral assay.
Wichroski et al. (PLoS One, 2012) described a high-throughput screen and rapid inhibitor triage workflow using an infectious chimeric hepatitis C virus. Automated fluorescence imaging allowed the team to distinguish true antiviral activity from cytotoxicity early in the screening cascade, illustrating how HCS de-risks antiviral hit selection.
Perwitasari et al. (Journal of Virology, 2013) used a high-content imaging approach to show that targeting cell division cycle 25 homolog B (CDC25B) regulates influenza virus replication. Their image-based readout connected a host-cell-cycle regulator to viral replication, demonstrating how ArrayScan-style screening can reveal host-directed antiviral targets.
Cardiovascular and endothelial research: migration, angiogenesis and kinase inhibitors
Cardiovascular research benefits from imaging angiogenesis, endothelial migration, tube formation and responses to inflammatory stimuli. Automated fluorescence microscopy can measure endothelial cell behaviour in scratch assays, co-cultures and 3D models, while ArrayScan HCS has been used to profile endothelial morphology and signalling.
Mastyugin et al. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening, 2004) developed a quantitative high-throughput endothelial cell migration assay using FluoroBlok transwell inserts and automated imaging. The assay allowed simultaneous measurement of migration across many compounds, providing a scalable format for studying angiogenesis and vascular repair.
Chen et al. (BMC Genomics, 2008) applied a gene functional association network to interpret anti-angiogenic kinase inhibitor activity in an endothelial co-culture model. By combining high-content imaging of tube-like structures with computational network analysis, the study linked kinase inhibition patterns to anti-angiogenic phenotypes — an early example of integrating HCS with systems biology.
The FL Auto 2 records live-cell migration and tube-formation time courses under controlled environmental conditions, complementing the endpoint HCS data generated by ArrayScan systems.
EVOS imaging pipelines: the practical bridge between biology and quantitation
While the ArrayScan literature focuses on high-content screening, the EVOS FL Auto 2 literature emphasises accessible automation and live-cell imaging. Klimaj & Munoz (PLoS One, 2020) described a high-throughput imaging and quantification pipeline built around the EVOS imaging platform. Their workflow shows how modern EVOS systems can be integrated with image-analysis pipelines to extract quantitative phenotypic data without requiring a full HCS infrastructure — directly relevant to labs that use or are considering the FL Auto 2 and its successors.
Why legacy platforms still matter
Modern systems such as the EVOS M7000 and CellInsight CX7 are faster, more integrated and better supported. However, the FL Auto 2 and ArrayScan established the imaging and analysis workflows that current platforms use. The studies above are not historical footnotes: they show how automated imaging answered specific biological questions — from glioblastoma drug profiling to axon regeneration, influenza host targets and endothelial migration. Labs with legacy hardware can still generate comparable data, and researchers evaluating refurbished systems can point to this publication record as evidence that the technology is well validated.
Key publications and reviews
- Cancer: Yu et al. (2018). High content screening of patient-derived cell lines highlights the potential of non-standard chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of glioblastoma. PLoS One.
- Cancer: Bhawé et al. (2004). An Automated Image Capture and Quantitation Approach to Identify Proteins Affecting Tumor Cell Proliferation. SLAS Discovery.
- Neuroscience: Qian et al. (2006). Novel agonist monoclonal antibodies activate TrkB receptors and demonstrate potent neurotrophic activities. Journal of Neuroscience.
- Neuroscience: Nguyen et al. (2012). Quantifying Amyloid Beta (Aβ)-Mediated Changes in Neuronal Morphology in Primary Cultures: Implications for Phenotypic Screening. SLAS Discovery.
- Neuroscience: Blackmore et al. (2010). High Content Screening of Cortical Neurons Identifies Novel Regulators of Axon Growth. PLoS One.
- Infectious disease: Brickelmaier et al. (2009). Identification and characterization of mefloquine efficacy against JC virus in vitro. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
- Infectious disease: Wichroski et al. (2012). High-Throughput Screening and Rapid Inhibitor Triage Using an Infectious Chimeric Hepatitis C Virus. PLoS One.
- Infectious disease: Perwitasari et al. (2013). Targeting Cell Division Cycle 25 Homolog B To Regulate Influenza Virus Replication. Journal of Virology.
- Cardiovascular: Mastyugin et al. (2004). A Quantitative High-Throughput Endothelial Cell Migration Assay. Journal of Biomolecular Screening.
- Cardiovascular: Chen et al. (2008). Developing and applying a gene functional association network for anti-angiogenic kinase inhibitor activity assessment in an angiogenesis co-culture model. BMC Genomics.
- EVOS pipeline: Klimaj & Munoz (2020). A high-throughput imaging and quantification pipeline for the EVOS imaging platform. PLoS One. PMC7406032.
- Review: Zock (2009). Applications of High Content Screening in Life Science Research. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen. PMC2841426.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EVOS FL Auto 2 used for in disease research?
It is an automated inverted fluorescence imager for live-cell and multi-well phenotyping in cancer, neuroscience, infection and cardiovascular research.
What is the Cellomics ArrayScan?
The ArrayScan is a high-content screening platform that captures multi-channel fluorescence images and extracts single-cell features such as intensity, morphology and localisation. It is the predecessor to the CellInsight CX7 HCS systems.
Are the FL Auto 2 and ArrayScan still relevant?
Yes. Both platforms established automated imaging workflows that current systems refined rather than replaced. They continue to appear in peer-reviewed literature and remain useful in UK labs with legacy hardware or limited budgets.
Which disease areas have the strongest ArrayScan literature?
Oncology, neuroscience, infectious disease and cardiovascular research have extensive ArrayScan HCS publication records, as shown by the linked studies in this article.
Can the FL Auto 2 replace a high-content screener?
No. It is a capable automated imager for multi-well plates and live-cell time-lapse, but it sits below full HCS systems in throughput and single-cell feature extraction depth.
Where can I find the original publications?
Every key publication in the “Key publications and reviews” list is a clickable link. The body of the article also links directly to the Yu et al., Bhawé et al., Qian et al., Nguyen et al., Blackmore et al., Brickelmaier et al., Wichroski et al., Perwitasari et al., Mastyugin et al., Chen et al. and Klimaj & Munoz studies.