title: Advances in single-cell experimental design made possible by automated imaging platforms with feedback through segmentation.
abstract: Live optical microscopy has become an essential tool for studying the dynamical behaviors and variability of single cells, and cell-cell interactions. However, experiments and data analysis in this area are often extremely labor intensive, and it has often not been achievable or practical to perform properly standardized experiments on a statistically viable scale. We have addressed this challenge by developing automated live imaging platforms, to help standardize experiments, increasing throughput, and unlocking previously impossible ones. Our real-time cell tracking programs communicate in feedback with microscope and camera control software, and they are highly customizable, flexible, and efficient. As examples of our current research which utilize these automated platforms, we describe two quite different applications: egress-invasion interactions of malaria parasites and red blood cells, and imaging of immune cells which possess high motility and internal dynamics. The automated imaging platforms are able to track a large number of motile cells simultaneously, over hours or even days at a time, greatly increasing data throughput and opening up new experimental possibilities.
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Alex J
authors: AJ
authors: Crick
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Eugenia
authors: E
authors: Cammarota
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Katie
authors: K
authors: Moulang
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Jurij
authors: J
authors: Kotar
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Cicuta
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001331:Automation; D002460:Cell Line; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D012107:Research Design; D052939:Schizonts / Q000166:cytology; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Automated live-cell imaging; Cell segmentation; Host–pathogen interaction; Malaria; Optical microscopy