Accelerating biopharmaceutical cell line selection with label-free multimodal nonlinear optical microscopy and machine learning

Abstract The selection of high-performing cell lines is crucial for biopharmaceutical production but is often time-consuming and labor-intensive. We investigated label-free multimodal nonlinear optical microscopy for non-perturbative profiling of biopharmaceutical cell lines based on their intrinsic...

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Main Authors: Jindou Shi, Alexander Ho, Corey E. Snyder, Eric J. Chaney, Janet E. Sorrells, Aneesh Alex, Remben Talaban, Darold R. Spillman, Marina Marjanovic, Minh Doan, Gary Finka, Steve R. Hood, Stephen A. Boppart
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-02-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07596-w
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Summary:Abstract The selection of high-performing cell lines is crucial for biopharmaceutical production but is often time-consuming and labor-intensive. We investigated label-free multimodal nonlinear optical microscopy for non-perturbative profiling of biopharmaceutical cell lines based on their intrinsic molecular contrast. Employing simultaneous label-free autofluorescence multiharmonic (SLAM) microscopy with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), we characterized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines at early passages (0–2). A machine learning (ML)-assisted analysis pipeline leveraged high-dimensional information to classify single cells into their respective lines. Remarkably, the monoclonal cell line classifiers achieved balanced accuracies exceeding 96.8% as early as passage 2. Correlation features and FLIM modality played pivotal roles in early classification. This integrated optical bioimaging and machine learning approach presents a promising solution to expedite cell line selection process while ensuring identification of high-performing biopharmaceutical cell lines. The techniques have potential for broader single-cell characterization applications in stem cell research, immunology, cancer biology and beyond.
ISSN:2399-3642