Transforming Biomedical Research through High-Throughput Histology Slide Scanning in The Imaging Resource Facility

The histological examination of tissue is a widespread and a crucial part of disease diagnosis in a clinical setting. Furthermore, histology allows biomedical researchers to advance our understanding of disease, enabling breakthroughs in diagnosis, prevention and treatment. High-quality histology slide digitisation is vital for disease study and, compared to glass slides, high-resolution images are easier to store, analyse and share.
The Imaging Resource Facility (IRF) at City St George’s is a vital core facility providing researchers with access to state-of-the-art equipment and expert support. The IRF offers a comprehensive histology workflow involving sample preparation, embedding, sectioning and staining. The facility’s 10-year-old slide scanner has become a significant bottleneck in this process. This limitation not only hinders efficiency but also restricts the ability of researchers to undertake large-scale digitisation projects in the IRF. In addition, the inefficiencies of the current system impose unnecessary costs on researcher time, institutional resources and grant funding.
The NanoZoomer S60 is a high-throughput slide scanner that will revolutionise histological research at City St George’s. With ten times the scanning capacity of the IRF’s existing slide scanner, the S60 significantly enhances efficiency and enables researchers to undertake larger and more complex projects. Additionally, the S60 introduces fluorescence slide scanning capabilities, a technique not currently available in the IRF, opening new doors for biomedical research.
The S60 scanner will support and enable a diverse range of projects within the MRC remit to improve human health. These projects include advancing our understanding of the genetic causes of inherited cardiac conditions, improving the diagnosis and treatment of sudden cardiac death, and exploring the pathological mechanisms of microvascular disease. It will also aid research in neuromuscular disorders, venous...