3D Cell Culture: The Future of Research and Drug Discovery

Research and drug discovery are undergoing a transformation, driven by the rise of 3D cell culture models that better replicate human biology. Unlike traditional 2D cultures and animal models, which often fall short in predicting clinical outcomes, 3D systems offer a more physiologically relevant environment for studying disease mechanisms and therapeutic responses. This shift helps scientists close the gap between in vitro research and real-world patient biology.

In this Innovation Spotlight, Cameron Ferris, the co-founder and chief operating officer of Inventia Life Science, discusses why and how 3D cell culture is becoming an essential tool for advancing disease research, accelerating drug screening, and improving translational success.

How are 3D cell culture models driving disease research and drug discovery forward?

3D cell culture is the future of drug discovery and disease research. Scientists have relied on 2D cell culture and animal models for many years, but these models often fail to accurately replicate human biology, which leads to inefficiencies in drug discovery and poor clinical translation. In fact, over 90 percent of drug candidates that show promise in preclinical studies ultimately fail in clinical trials, largely due to the limitations of traditional models. 3D cell culture provides a more biologically relevant environment, allowing researchers to better understand disease mechanisms, therapeutic responses, and complex cell interactions. This ultimately improves the predictability of drug screening and reduces costly late-stage failures.

What are the main drawbacks to 2D models?

Scientists have relied on 2D cell cultures for decades, but these models oversimplify the complexity of human biology. Cells in monolayer cultures experience mechanical forces and biochemical signaling that are vastly different from their native environments, leading to altered gene expression and behavior. One of the biggest challenges is that many compounds that appear effective in 2D fail in more biologically relevant models, contributing to high failure rates in clinical trials. In fact, many modern discovery programs target a disease mechanism that simply can't be reproduced in a 2D environment, meaning the only way to achieve a useful model system is through 3D cell cultures.

Phenotypic relevance is critical for bridging the gap between in vitro research and real-world patient biology. Unlike monolayer cultures, 3D models incorporate structured extracellular matrices that mimic the biochemical and mechanical cues of native tissues. This ensures that cells not only interact with each other but also with their environment in a way that mirrors in vivo conditions. These factors are particularly important in cancer research, neurodegenerative disease studies, and immuno-oncology, where cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions play a major role in disease progression and therapeutic response.

In what fields are 3D cell culture models having the greatest impacts?

We’re seeing a huge impact across many fields, but the most transformative applications are in cancer biology, neurodegenerative disease, and immuno-oncology. In oncology, researchers are using 3D tumor models to study the tumor microenvironment (TME), which is a critical factor in oncogenesis and drug response. The TME plays a fundamental role in cancer progression, drug resistance, and immune evasion, making it essential for developing effective therapies. In neuroscience, 3D neural cultures provide a more accurate platform to investigate neurodegeneration and synaptic function. And in immuno-oncology, researchers are using complex co-culture systems to explore tumor-immune interactions, leading to more effective immunotherapies. By better replicating in vivo conditions, 3D models are transforming how we study disease and develop new therapies.

What challenges do scientists face when working with conventional 3D cell culture models?

There’s no question that 3D models provide more biologically relevant insights, but historically, working with them hasn’t been easy. Traditional approaches such as organoids, spheroids, or scaffold-based cultures require extensive manual handling which leads to variability between experiments. Many workflows are time consuming, difficult to scale, and dependent on specialized expertise.

Another challenge is that researchers new to 3D cell culture have faced a fragmented landscape of subpar solutions. Off-the-shelf models may not be a fit for their specific application and DIY approaches can be difficult to implement and reproduce. The result is that scientists spend more time troubleshooting protocols than generating meaningful data.

That’s where RASTRUM Allegro is making an impact. It removes barriers to entry and offers a standardized, reproducible platform for 3D model generation at scale.

How does the RASTRUM platform create phenotypically relevant 3D cell culture models, and what sets the technology apart from traditional ways of building these models?

What makes RASTRUM technology—and RASTRUM Allegro in particular—unique is that it was designed from the ground up to make high-throughput 3D culture both accessible and scalable. Traditional approaches require significant hands-on expertise and can be highly variable, but RASTRUM Allegro simplifies the process without sacrificing control or precision.

A key factor is the full RASTRUM ecosystem, which provides scientists with everything they need to validate their models in days rather than months. Once a model is validated, RASTRUM can generate highly reproducible 3D models in just minutes.

RASTRUM uses drop-on-demand technology to precisely dispense cells and extracellular matrix components, creating structured, reproducible microenvironments. Unlike manual or scaffold-based methods, which can be inconsistent, RASTRUM Allegro achieves intra- and inter-plate variation below 10 percent, which ensures high-quality, reliable data.

By combining speed, reproducibility, and flexibility, RASTRUM Allegro makes complex 3D biology not just possible but practical, whether researchers are screening drug compounds, studying disease mechanisms, or optimizing cell therapy workflows.

How are scientists using RASTRUM Allegro to advance their work?

Researchers are leveraging RASTRUM Allegro to overcome key challenges in 3D cell culture, from improving model reproducibility to enabling high-throughput workflows. Traditional 3D methods can be labor-intensive, inconsistent, and difficult to scale, limiting their utility for screening and translational research. By providing a standardized, user-friendly approach to building high-quality 3D models with minimal variability, RASTRUM Allegro allows scientists to generate reliable datasets faster and with greater confidence.

Beyond accelerating individual experiments, RASTRUM Allegro is driving a fundamental shift toward more advanced, biologically relevant in vitro models. Whether researchers are developing co-culture systems to explore complex cell interactions or building patient-derived models for drug screening and precision medicine, RASTRUM Allegro makes it possible to generate scalable, reproducible 3D systems that deliver deeper insights into disease biology and therapeutic responses.

What are some examples of research or drug development that have been conducted using RASTRUM platforms?

We’ve seen some really exciting data that was made possible thanks to RASTRUM. One standout example is the work by Bristol Myers Squibb, where researchers used RASTRUM Allegro to develop a scalable 3D pancreatic cancer model for high-throughput drug screening. This model reduced cell input requirements by around 40 percent, enabled efficient scale-up, and demonstrated highly reproducible drug responses to both standard-of-care chemotherapy and experimental compounds. With the model created by RASTRUM Allegro, they now have a more predictive preclinical screening platform that can be used for evaluating novel therapeutics with greater confidence.

In neuroscience, Merck/MSD developed a RASTRUM-generated 3D forebrain cortex model to study neuronal connectivity and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms.¹ Their research showed that traditional 2D cultures failed to capture key Alzheimer’s disease phenotypes, while the 3D model revealed impairments in neurite and synapse formation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. This has been a major breakthrough for Alzheimer’s disease research, as it provides a more physiologically relevant system for studying disease progression and potential therapeutic interventions.

Beyond these studies, Mayo Clinic and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are leveraging RASTRUM-generated multi-cell-type tumor models to investigate immune-tumor interactions, optimize new therapeutic approaches, and explore how microenvironments influence disease progression. These models allow researchers to study tumor invasion, metastasis, and drug response in a way that 2D cultures cannot replicate, which is critical for developing next-generation therapies.

The real takeaway is that RASTRUM isn’t just making 3D culture easier, it is enabling discoveries that wouldn’t be possible with traditional methods. Researchers are pushing the boundaries of disease modeling and preclinical research, and that’s exactly why we built this platform.

What excites you about the future of 3D cell culture?

We’re at a turning point where 3D cell culture is moving from an emerging technology to a fundamental part of drug discovery and disease research. For years, scientists have recognized the need for better models, but technical limitations made 3D culture difficult to scale. Now, with platforms like RASTRUM Allegro, we’re breaking down those barriers, allowing researchers to generate complex models with ease and reproducibility.

One of the most exciting trends is the growing adoption and validation of 3D models in drug discovery and preclinical research. As biopharma companies seek more predictive, human-relevant models, 3D systems are being increasingly integrated into workflows to enhance translational relevance, reduce reliance on traditional models, and accelerate drug development. While regulatory bodies are recognizing the value of advanced in vitro models, ongoing studies and industry initiatives will be key to further driving acceptance and standardization.

But the real potential of 3D cell culture goes beyond replacing older methods. We’re seeing a shift toward more complex, multi-cell-type models, patient-derived tissues, and even AI-driven analysis. These advances will redefine how we study human biology, develop new treatments, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.