Patent ID: 8202701

Claim:
A method for selecting a compound comprising: (a) contacting encapsulated cells with at least one test compound, wherein the encapsulated cells are spotted on addressable locations on a substrate and the cells are encapsulated in a structure having a diameter of less than about 200 μm; and (b) selecting the compound that induces or promotes a change in phenotype of the encapsulated cells contacted with the test compound compared to a control, wherein the encapsulated cells are produced by a process comprising applying an electrostatic potential to a droplet of cells suspended in a first solution comprising one or more types of monomers, wherein the electrostatic potential is in an amount sufficient to disrupt the surface tension of the droplet, and dropping the droplet into a polymerization solution from a distance sufficient to produce a structure encapsulating from about 60 to about 100 cells with a diameter of less than about 200 μm, wherein the polymerization solution comprises a nutrient osmolyte and an ionic polymerizing agent that promotes the polymerization of the one or more types of monomers.