A new technology called SPARCS combines artificial intelligence with microscopy to screen cells at massive scale. The findings were published in the journal Cell.

Researchers led by Veit Hornung at LMU's Gene Center, Matthias Mann at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry and Fabian Theis at Helmholtz Munich developed the method. It lets scientists screen millions of genetically modified cells for complex visual features.

SPARCS then isolates individual cells of interest while keeping them intact. Their protein makeup can be studied with mass spectrometry. This links visible cell changes to the genetic alterations that cause them.

In tests, the team analysed microscopy images of 70 million cells. They studied autophagy, the cell's recycling process, and found new genes involved. They also examined STING, a key sensor of the immune system.

The method opens a systematic way to investigate genes and speed up biological discovery. It could help research into disease mechanisms and new drug targets.

SPARCS shows how AI can turn images into gene-level insight. Screening that once took months can now run at unprecedented scale.