Methods and compositions for retrieving cellular structures based on spatiotemporal profiles

A method for screening cellular, subcellular, or multicellular structures, comprising the steps of:

• a) introducing a plurality of cellular, subcellular, or multicellular structures, or a combination thereof, to an imaging system, wherein one or more structures of the plurality comprise one or more taggable markers;
• b) imaging the plurality of structures using the imaging system;
• c) identifying one or more target structures among the plurality of structures based on one or more properties of the target structures;
• d) tagging the target structures to produce tagged target structures, wherein each target structure is selectively illuminated by an excitation light, thereby causing one or more taggable markers within the target structure to be phototransformed to produce one or more phototransformed taggable markers within the target structure;
• and
• e) isolating one or more tagged target structures from the plurality of structures using the phototransformed taggable markers,
• wherein the one or more structures of the plurality further comprise one or more selectable markers;
• the one or more phototransformed taggable markers within the target structure cause the activation of one or more selectable markers within the target structure to produce one or more activated selectable markers;
• isolating the one or more tagged target structures is performed by culturing the plurality of structures in an environment only amenable to structures comprising the one or more activated selectable markers to produce one or more isolated tagged target structures.