3D cell culture and 3D cell models for biologically relevant research

The RASTRUM™ platform helps researchers move from traditional 2D culture to scalable 3D cell culture and 3D cell models that better represent cell behavior, matrix interaction, and disease biology.

Built for drug discovery, disease modeling, and therapeutic research, RASTRUM brings scalable model generation, tunable matrices, defined architectures, guided software, and downstream analysis compatibility into one workflow.

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A 3D cell model is only useful if it helps researchers ask better biological questions and generate data they can trust.

Traditional 2D cell culture remains useful for many experiments, but flat culture formats often miss important cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Animal studies can provide important biological context, but they are expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to scale for routine screening. Manual 3D culture methods can add complexity, but they often introduce variability that makes results harder to compare.

RASTRUM is designed for researchers who need 3D cell culture models that connect biological relevance with workflow control.

Use RASTRUM when your team needs to:

Build biologically relevant in vitro 3D models in standard plate formats

Reduce manual variability in 3D cell model generation

Tune matrix and architecture around a biological question

Support imaging, screening, drug response, and downstream analysis

Scale from exploratory model development into repeatable workflows

Work with patient-derived, iPSC-derived, primary, or immortalized cells

Tumor-fibroblast cell interactions in a RASTRUM Triple Matrix Model architecture, showing how defined matrix regions can organize cell populations for cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction studies.

Cells

Workflows may be designed around immortalized cell lines, primary cells, patient-derived cells, iPSC-derived cells, stromal cells, immune cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, or multicellular co-cultures. The appropriate cell system depends on the biological question, model architecture, matrix conditions, culture requirements, and readouts.

Matrix conditions help define the 3D cellular environment, including stiffness, adhesion cues, ECM components, and remodeling behavior that can influence viability, morphology, signaling, migration, transport, recovery, and therapeutic response.

Matrix

Matrix choice can influence cell viability, morphology, signaling, migration, transport, recovery, and therapeutic response. RASTRUM Matrices help researchers select a defined environment instead of relying only on manual or undefined matrix workflows.

Cell culture matrices

Model architecture determines how 3D cell models are positioned, imaged, measured, recovered, or scaled, helping researchers choose formats for imaging, screening, co-culture, migration, invasion, histology, and downstream analysis.

Architecture

Model architecture determines how cell models are positioned, imaged, measured, recovered, or scaled. Researchers can select architectures based on the application, such as imaging, -omics analysis, high-throughput screening, migration or invasion studies, tissue co-culture, or model recovery.

3D cell model architecture options

RASTRUM-generated 3D cell models can be designed around downstream readouts such as imaging, viability, morphology, high-content imaging, drug response, molecular analysis, and cell recovery workflows.

Readouts

RASTRUM-generated models can be designed around downstream readouts such as 3D cell imaging, viability, morphology, high-content imaging, drug response, molecular analysis, and cell recovery workflows, with readout selection guided by the model format and study design.

1. Select the matrix

Choose a defined, tunable matrix based on the biological question, cell type, stiffness needs, ECM cues, remodeling requirements, and downstream analysis plan.

2. Choose the cell model architecture

Select the model structure and configuration that fits the application, whether you need imaging, screening, co-culture, migration, invasion, immunohistochemistry analysis, or another workflow.

3. Prepare your cells

Prepare compatible cells for printing, including patient-derived, iPSC-derived, primary, or immortalized cells.

4. Generate 3D cell models

Use RASTRUM cell-loaded matrix dispensing to create 3D cell models in standard plate formats with controlled model setup and reduced manual handling.

5. Perform downstream analysis

Grow, treat, image, measure, recover, or analyze your models using downstream workflows and readouts aligned to the study question.

RASTRUM 3D cell models support drug response, lead validation, mechanism studies, and plate-based screening workflows where reproducibility and scale matter.

Drug discovery and screening

Generate 3D cell models for drug response, lead validation, mechanism studies, and screening. RASTRUM helps teams move from exploratory 3D culture into high-throughput cell culture workflows where reproducibility and scale matter.

Drug discovery workflows

Representative RASTRUM-generated 3D model supporting disease model development across cancer, fibrosis, neurodegenerative disease, and other research areas, with model scope defined by cell source, matrix, architecture, and study goals.

Disease modeling

RASTRUM can support disease model development across cancer, fibrosis, neurodegenerative disease, and other research areas, with project scope defined by the cell source, matrix requirements, architecture, and study goals.

Discovery Services for custom disease models

Representative RASTRUM tissue model applications, including liver, brain, heart, and placenta model systems, developed using selected cell systems, defined matrices, model architectures, and downstream readouts.

Tissue Models

RASTRUM workflows can support tissue model development (including liver, brain, heart, and placenta) using selected cell systems, defined matrices, model architectures, and downstream readouts aligned to the study question.

Areas of Research

RASTRUM-generated tumor microenvironment model with spatial separation in a Dual Matrix Model architecture. A549 lung cancer cells and normal human lung fibroblasts were printed in adjacent matrices and imaged after seven days in vitro. Dotted lines indicate matrix boundaries. Cells were labeled with the PhenoVue Cell Painting Kit: nuclei blue, endoplasmic reticulum green, and actin yellow.

Cancer and tumor microenvironment research

Develop 3D cancer models and tumor microenvironment workflows to study tumor-stroma interaction, immune-cell behavior, therapeutic response, migration, invasion, and patient-derived tumor biology.

3D cancer models for tumor microenvironment research

Representative RASTRUM-generated fibroblast model used to study fibroblast activation, stromal signaling, matrix remodeling, and fibrosis-associated biology in 3D.

Fibroblast and stromal biology

Use 3D culture to study fibroblast activation, stromal signaling, matrix remodeling, and fibrosis-associated biology. RASTRUM workflows can support fibroblast cell models and more complex stromal co-cultures where appropriate.

Fibroblast Activation Validated Solution

Brightfield images of patient-derived colorectal cancer cells grown as tumoroids in suspension culture at day 6, left, or in Px02 RASTRUM matrices at day 7, right.

Patient-derived and iPSC-derived models

RASTRUM can support 3D cell culture workflows designed around patient-derived or iPSC-derived cells, with model conditions selected for the cell source, sample availability, and readouts.

Personalized medicine research workflows

RASTRUM Allegro-generated lung cancer tri-culture model. Primary normal human lung fibroblasts and primary HUVECs were printed with A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells using the Imaging Model architecture, cultured for 7 days, and stained with Hoechst, phalloidin, and concanavalin A.

Imaging and high-content analysis

3D cell imaging and 3D cell analysis work best when models are built with consistent architecture and defined matrix conditions, since variability in either can make results harder to interpret or compare across experiments. RASTRUM's standardized, plate-based format is designed to integrate with automated imaging and high-content analysis pipelines, supporting everything from single-cell morphology to multicellular structure and functional readouts.

FAQs

What is a 3D cell model?

A 3D cell model is an in vitro model in which cells are cultured in three-dimensional conditions rather than on a flat surface. 3D cell models can help researchers study cell-cell interaction, cell-matrix signaling, morphology, migration, drug response, and disease biology in more biologically relevant contexts.

What is the difference between 3D cell culture and 3D cell culture models?

3D cell culture refers to the method of growing cells in three-dimensional environments. 3D cell culture models are the experimental systems created using those methods, such as tumor models, fibroblast models, immune-tumor co-cultures, patient-derived models, or other in vitro 3D models designed around a specific research question.

How does RASTRUM generate 3D cell models?

RASTRUM generates 3D cell models by dispensing cell-loaded matrices into defined well-plate architectures. Researchers can select matrix conditions, model architecture, cell input, and downstream readouts to create 3D cell culture models aligned to their experimental goals.

What is the best way to analyze 3D cultures using high-content imaging?

The best way to analyze 3D cultures using high-content imaging depends on the model architecture, matrix, staining approach, imaging depth, segmentation strategy, and biological question. In RASTRUM workflows, model design should be planned around the imaging readout from the beginning so the final 3D cell analysis is interpretable and reproducible.

How do I choose the right matrix and architecture for a 3D cell model?

Start with the biological question and readout. Matrix selection should consider stiffness, adhesion cues, ECM components, transport, and tissue or model recovery needs. Architecture selection should consider whether you need imaging, screening, direct or indirect co-culture, migration, invasion,or model recovery..