Abstract
Technologies enabling on-site environmental detection or medical diagnostics in resource-limited settings have a strong disruptive potential compared to current analytical approaches that require trained personnel in laboratories with immobile, resource intensive instrumentation. Handheld devices, such as smartphones, are now routinely produced with CPUs, RAM, wireless data transfer capabilities, and high-resolution complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) cameras capable of supporting the capture and processing of bioluminescent signals. In theory, combining the capabilities of these devices with continuously bioluminescent human cell-based bioreporters would allow them to replicate the functionality of more expensive, more complex, and less flexible platforms while supporting human-relevant conclusions. In this work, we compare the performance of smartphone (CMOS) and night vision (image intensifier) devices with in vivo (CCD camera), and in vitro (photomultiplier tube) laboratory instrumentation for monitoring signal dynamics from continuously bioluminescent human cellular models under toxic, stable, and induced expression scenarios. All systems detected bioluminescence from cells at common plating densities. While the in vivo and in vitro systems were more sensitive and detected signal dynamics representing cellular health changes earlier, the night vision and smartphone systems also detected these changes with relatively similar coefficients of variation and linear detection capabilities. The smartphone system did not detect transcriptional induction. The night vision system did detect transcriptional activation, but was less sensitive than the in vivo or in vitro systems and required a stronger induction before the change could be resolved.
Highlights
Most laboratory grade fluorescent or luminescent screening instrumentation utilizes either charge coupled device (CCD) cameras or photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) as sensors
The plate reading chamber within the PMT-based plate reader had the lowest level of ambient light at 3.12 × 104 (±6.15 × 103) photons/sec
To enable comparison between the systems that report values in arbitrary units (PMT, image intensifier, and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)), a standard was measured in each device and a conversion factor was determined to convert values to photons/sec
Summary
Most laboratory grade fluorescent or luminescent screening instrumentation utilizes either charge coupled device (CCD) cameras or photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) as sensors. CCD cameras consist of many light-sensitive areas that convert photons into electrons when struck, such that the number of electrons collected will be directly proportional to the photon intensity recorded within each area This allows them to be very sensitive, and makes them vulnerable to dark current noise if not Smartphone Continuous Bioluminescence integrated with cooling systems to reduce thermal noise (Janesick, 2001). The complexity and sensitivity of these types of sensors requires them to be integrated into instrumentation that can protect them from physical harm, supply them with the necessary power for optimal performance, and protect them from background light exposure This often prevents their use in mobile operations, where small sizes, low power requirements, and robustness against environmental exposure is prioritized. There is an increased interest in the use of smaller, less expensive, and more obtainable instrumentation to perform biological assays, especially under low resource constraints
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