background img
Home / Resources / Featured Services / High Content Screening Services for Neuroscience

High Content Screening Services for Neuroscience

Enabling precision, speed, and insight for neurobiological research and neurodegenerative drug discovery.

Ready to advance your neuroscience research with tailored High Content Screening solutions? Contact our expert team today for a personalized consultation and a detailed project quote. Let's collaborate to accelerate your drug discovery and translational breakthroughs.

Get a Personalized Quote

Empowering Next-Generation Neuroscience with High Content Screening

Unlock new frontiers in neuroscience with our advanced High Content Screening (HCS) service, integrating automated multiparametric imaging, AI-driven analytics, and the latest neural models—from live primary neurons to complex brain organoids. Our client-centered platform accelerates mechanistic insight, biomarker discovery, and precision drug screening in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropharmacological research.

What Is High Content Screening (HCS)?

HCS is an image-based screening technology that integrates automated microscopy, multiplexed fluorescent labeling, and sophisticated analysis to quantitatively capture multiple cellular features simultaneously. Unlike traditional high-throughput screening, HCS provides in-depth, single-cell and subcellular phenotype data in physiologically relevant neural models, supporting every stage from target identification to translational research.

banner img

Discover how our HCS technologies fit your workflow

Contact us to discuss assay options and pricing

Spotlight: Neuroscience Applications & Mechanisms

Our HCS platform uniquely supports the urgent needs of neuroscience research with premium speed, scale, and customizability.

Neurite Outgrowth & Morphogenesis

Quantify neurite length, branching, and network dynamics in primary neurons, iPSC-derived neural cells, and microtissues—critical for studying connectivity, neurodevelopmental disorders, and nerve regeneration. Recent studies demonstrate AI-based neurite analysis can reproducibly evaluate regeneration and compound efficacy in models of spinal cord injury and ALS.

Synapse Formation & Connectivity

Detect individual synaptic puncta and mapping of complex circuitry via multiplexed markers and AI segmentation. Applications span learning and memory research to functional decline in aging and CNS disorders.

Protein Aggregation & Disease Modeling

Precisely visualize and quantify aggregates (e.g., tau, α-synuclein) driving pathogenesis in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease. HCS accelerates screening of aggregation modulators, enabling evaluation of candidate therapeutics directly in disease-relevant neuronal models.

Neuroinflammation & Glial Assays

Analyze neuron-glia interactions, glial activation, and multiparametric cytokine signatures. This supports fast, objective evaluation of immunomodulatory therapies for multiple sclerosis, ALS, and neuroinflammatory disorders.

Phenotypic & Functional Assays

Real-time imaging of calcium flux, mitochondrial function, and cell health delivers dynamic insights into neural activity and drug responses, supporting both basic research and translational screening.

High-Dimensional Cell Profiling

“Cell Painting” and other multiplexed approaches extract hundreds of features per cell, powering unbiased clustering, phenotypic stratification, and drug repurposing. Recent research shows machine learning coupled with HCS can identify subtle, disease-relevant phenotypes and predict drug responses more accurately than conventional screens.

Our Technology: Designed for Client Success

Imaging & Analysis


  • Industry-leading systems for multiplexed, high-speed, and 3D imaging.
  • AI and Deep Learning Pipelines: Automated, reproducible feature extraction across complex neural samples.


    • Model Support


  • 2D/3D cultures of primary or iPSC-derived neurons
  • Neural microtissues and brain organoids (including patient-specific and genetically engineered disease models)


    • Data Security


  • Comprehensive confidentiality agreements to protect your sensitive information.
  • GLP-compliant, cloud-based data management ensuring secure and reliable access.


    • Our Collaborative Service Workflow

    1. 1

      Consultation & Custom Assay Design

    2. 2

      Preparation of Neural Models (2D/3D/Organoids)

    3. 3

      Multiplexed Staining & Live-Cell Imaging

    4. 4

      Automated High-Content Image Acquisition

    5. 5

      AI-Powered Analysis & Data Extraction

    6. 6

      Statistical Reports & Visualizations, with all raw images delivered

    7. 7

      Full Technical Support—Data interpretation, troubleshooting, and publication-ready outputs

    Start Your Project Consultation

    Latest Research: Precision Drug Screening in Neural Disease Models

    AD signaling network modeling diagram

    Network-Based Drug Screening with Organoids

    Several breakthrough studies have developed network-based drug screening platforms using iPSC-derived cerebral organoids combined with automated HCS and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to model Alzheimer's disease (AD) precisely. One prominent study reported using 1,300 cerebral organoids derived from 11 participants, including CRISPR-Cas9-edited isogenic lines, to replicate key AD pathological features such as amyloid beta and tau aggregation. This platform integrated mathematical modeling of disease networks with pathologies observed in organoids to screen blood–brain barrier-permeable drugs rapidly. The use of automated HCS enabled high-throughput testing across thousands of brain organoids, successfully identifying and validating effective candidate compounds for potential precision medicine applications in AD treatment.

    Human Brain Organoids diagram and images

    Human Brain Organoids for Drug Discovery

    Hi-Q human brain organoids are generated from diverse hiPSC lines with high consistency in size, structure, and function, greatly enhancing reproducibility and scalability for automated HCS. Compared to traditional organoids, Hi-Q organoids exhibit reduced cellular stress, are amenable to cryopreservation and re-culturing, enabling large-scale studies for modeling neurodevelopment, neurodegenerative diseases, and personalized drug testing.

    Diagram showing integration of AI with biomedical data

    Integration with AI and Machine Learning

    AI/ML-driven image analysis is revolutionizing drug screening by extracting subtle, high-dimensional phenotypic signatures from massive HCS datasets. Studies have shown machine learning frameworks can predict compound activity and hit compounds more accurately and efficiently than traditional screening, fueling faster lead discovery for complex neurological diseases.

    Neurodegenerative Disease Therapy

    • Toward Precision Medicine

      The convergence of HCS, AI, and patient-derived brain organoids enables individualized drug profiling—matching therapies to unique patient phenotypes—poised to transform neurodegenerative disease treatment pipelines over the next decade.

    • Early Biomarker Discovery

      HCS accelerates identification of early disease markers and therapeutic windows, essential for intervention before irreversible neural damage occurs.

    • Multi-Omics and Data Integration

      Integration of proteomics and transcriptomics with HCS imaging is beginning to reveal multifaceted disease mechanisms, expanding actionable insights far beyond classic screening approaches.

    Our Trusted Partners

    Partner Logo GSK
    Partner Logo JNJ
    Partner Logo Cleveland Clinic
    Partner Logo Lilly
    Partner Logo Boehringer Ingelheim
    Partner Logo Broad Institute
    Partner Logo GSK
    Partner Logo JNJ
    Partner Logo Cleveland Clinic
    Partner Logo Lilly
    Partner Logo Boehringer Ingelheim
    Partner Logo Broad Institute

    Frequently Asked Questions

    A: Project timelines vary significantly based on complexity. A more complex project requiring the generation of a new CRISPR-edited iPSC line, followed by organoid differentiation and deep phenotypic analysis, could range from 4 to 6 months. We provide a detailed project-specific timeline during the initial scoping phase.
    A: Absolutely. We routinely work with client-provided materials. For iPSC lines, we would first conduct a thorough quality control process, including sterility testing, pluripotency verification, and karyotyping, to ensure they meet our high standards before initiating differentiation. If you have patient-derived tissue samples (e.g., fibroblasts or PBMCs), we can perform the iPSC reprogramming in-house.
    A: While both are 3D models, they differ fundamentally in complexity. Neural spheroids are typically uniform aggregates of one or two cell types, excellent for scalable screening. Our brain organoids, however, are guided to undergo self-organization that mimics aspects of human brain development. This results in a more complex architecture with distinct, layered regions (like a rudimentary cortex), a greater diversity of cell types (including progenitors, various neuronal subtypes, and glia), and the development of more sophisticated, functional neural networks.
    A: We go far beyond simple marker expression. While we confirm the presence of key neuronal markers like MAP2 and TUJ1, our validation focuses on function. We use Multi-Electrode Array (MEA) analysis to record spontaneous electrical activity, demonstrating that our neurons form synactically-connected, active networks. We can characterize specific firing patterns, network synchronicity, and response to neuroactive compounds, providing robust evidence of their physiological maturity.
    A: Data are delivered in standardized, widely used formats (e.g., CSV, TIFF) compatible with major bioinformatics and statistical software. Custom data formatting and API integration can be arranged to streamline downstream analysis.

    References

    1. Park, Jong-Chan, et al. “A Logical Network-Based Drug-Screening Platform for Alzheimer's Disease Representing Pathological Features of Human Brain Organoids.” Nature Communications, vol. 12, no. 1, Jan. 2021, p. 280. DOI.org, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20440-5.

    2. Ramani, Anand, et al. “Reliability of High-Quantity Human Brain Organoids for Modeling Microcephaly, Glioma Invasion and Drug Screening.” Nature Communications, vol. 15, no. 1, Dec. 2024, p. 10703. DOI.org, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55226-6.

    3. Kitaoka, Yoshihiro, et al. “Role and Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Biomarker Discovery and Development of Treatment Strategies for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 26, no. 9, May 2025, p. 4346. DOI.org, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094346.

    4. Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.

    Request a Quote

    Fill out the form below, and our expert team will contact you to design your custom project and accelerate breakthrough innovations.

    For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.

    Inquiry Basket