Identifying compounds modifying a cellular phenotype

A method of identifying a compound or a combination of compounds that modify a least one cellular phenotype, said method comprising the steps of:

• i) providing a library containing a plurality of library members, herein each library member is a compound or a combinations of compounds;
• ii) providing a suspension of cells which may acquire said cellular phenotype;
• iii) providing a cell-compatible support, wherein the support reversible can change between a sol state and a gel-state;
• iv) providing an array containing a plurality of spaces;
• v) adding said support in sol-state to the spaces of said array;
• vi) adding library members to the spaces of said array, wherein at least two different library members are added to two different spaces,
• wherein steps v) and vi) may be performed simultaneously or sequentially in any order,
• vii) bringing the support to the eel-state;
• viii) contacting the spaces of said array with the suspension of cells;
• and
• ix) bringing the support into the sol-state,
• wherein steps viii) and ix) may be performed simultaneously or sequentially in any order;
• and
• x) bringing the support to the gel-state thereby entrapping cells in the support;
• and
• xi) incubating the array under conditions allowing maintenance and/or growth of the cells,
• xii) detecting the cellular phenotype in the cells,
• xiii) identifying library members modifying the cellular phenotype,
• thereby identifying a compound or a combination of compounds modifying said cellular phenotype.