Image-based screening is used to measure a variety of phenotypes in cells and whole organisms. Combined with perturbations such as RNA interference, small molecules, and mutations, such screens are a powerful method for gaining systematic insights into biological processes. Screens have been applied to study diverse processes, such as protein-localization changes, cancer cell vulnerabilities, and complex organismal phenotypes. Recently, advances in imaging and image-analysis methodologies have accelerated large-scale perturbation screens. Here, we describe the state of the art for image-based screening experiments and delineate experimental approaches and image-analysis approaches as well as discussing challenges and future directions, including leveraging CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering.
Genetic interactions influence many phenotypes and can be used as a powerful experimental tool to discover functional relationships between genes. Here we describe a robust and scalable method to systematically map genetic interactions in human cancer cells using combinatorial RNAi and high-throughput imaging. Through automated, single-cell phenotyping, we measured genetic interactions across a broad spectrum of phenotypes, including cell count, cell eccentricity and nuclear area. We mapped genetic interactions of epigenetic regulators in colon cancer cells, recovering known protein complexes. Our study also revealed the prospects and challenges of studying genetic interactions in human cells using multiparametric phenotyping.
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