Imagine a detective scene where a window is smashed, furniture is overturned, and something's clearly gone wrong but instead of a crime, this is a viral infection. And the wreckage left behind? That's exactly what scientists look for.
When a virus infects a cell, it often leaves behind visible damage called a cytopathic effect (CPE). These changes like misshapen cells, unusual growth patterns, or outright cell death might seem like destruction, but for researchers, they're actually clues. And today, those clues are helping speed up the discovery of new viral treatments.
What happens when viruses attack?
Some viruses, like varicella-zoster (which causes chickenpox and later, shingles), move in and stay dormant for years. Others are more aggressive, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is a common cause of colds. RSV can trigger nearby cells to fuse together into large blobs called syncytia, changing their shape and function completely.
Each virus interacts with the body in a different way and watching how infected cells respond can teach scientists how the virus spreads, how the immune system reacts, and what might stop it.
Why this matters?
Here's where it gets exciting: those same cellular reactions can also be used to screen potential treatments faster. If you treat an infected cell with a new antiviral drug and it survives (or lacks typical CPE damage indicators), that's a powerful clue that the drug might work.
This approach became especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when researchers raced to test thousands of treatments and antibodies in a short period of time. The ability to visually track infection and recovery in cells made it possible to speed up the process dramatically.
The technology behind the speed
Enter our Celigo™ image cytometer, a microscope-meets-data-analyzer tool that allows scientists to scan and analyze 96-well plates full of cells in just 6 minutes and immediately spot changes in shape, size, or survival. Whether it's detecting dying cells, counting populations, or tracking fusion events like syncytia, the Celigo makes the invisible, visible.
It’s like putting each infected cell under a high-speed, spotlight. And when time is critical, like during a viral outbreak, efficient and fast insight is like a goldmine.
The broader journey
The next pandemic, or even the next seasonal virus, could arrive without warning. What may look like chaos under the microscope is actually knowledge in the making. By turning cell damage into data, researchers can screen thousands of drug candidates at once, transforming what seems like a tiny disaster into vital clues for faster therapies.
At Revvity, we’re helping bridge the gap from discovery to cure. That means not only advancing technologies like Celigo™, but also uniting the expertise of our scientists, engineers, and specialists across our organization with our customers every day. Through these collaborations, we uncover challenges, anticipate needs, and deliver solutions that go beyond the expected.
Together, we’re turning hidden cellular clues into actionable insights, preparing for tomorrow’s unknowns, and advancing science one breakthrough at a time. Until the gap between research and cure is closed, the story continues. At Revvity, we’re here for every chapter. Challenge accepted.
For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
