High-content screening: emerging hardware and software technologies.

The field of high-content screening has flourished since 2000 with advancements in automated fluorescence microscopy technologies, fluorescent labeling techniques, and sophisticated image analysis software. Through the use of these technologies, researchers can now monitor cellular and molecular events in individual cells in vitro following drug treatment or RNAi and rapidly screen compound and siRNA libraries. This chapter discusses current and next-generation hardware and software features and capabilities.