Dondi, C; Tsikritsis, D; Vorng, J-L; Greenidge, G; Kepiro, I E; Belsey, N A; McMahon, G; Gilmore, I S; Ryadnov, M; Shaw, M (2025) Multiparametric physicochemical analysis of a type 1 collagen 3D cell culture model using light and electron microscopy and mass spectrometry imaging. Scientific Reports, 15 (1). 9578 ISSN 2045-2322

Preview

Text eid10410.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Three-dimensional cell culture systems underpin cell-based technologies ranging from tissue scaffolds for regenerative medicine to tumor models and organoids for drug screening. However, to realise the full potential of these technologies requires analytical methods able to capture the diverse information needed to characterize constituent cells, scaffold components and the extracellular milieu. Here we describe a multimodal imaging workflow which combines fluorescence, vibrational and second harmonic generation microscopy with secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging and transmission electron microscopy to analyse the morphological, chemical and ultrastructural properties of cell-seeded scaffolds. Using cell nuclei as landmarks we register fluorescence with label-free optical microscopy images and high mass resolution with high spatial resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry images, with an accuracy comparable to the intrinsic spatial resolution of the techniques. We apply these methods to investigate relationships between cell distribution, cytoskeletal morphology, scaffold fiber organisation and biomolecular composition in type I collagen scaffolds seeded with human dermal fibroblasts.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	Biotechnology > Bio-Diagnostics
Divisions:	Chemical & Biological Sciences
Identification number/DOI:	10.1038/s41598-025-93700-3
Last Modified:	19 May 2026 09:57
URI:	https://eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/id/eprint/10410