Cell Motility and Cell Migration

Cell Motility and Cell Migration play important roles in cell biology research

The study of cell migration and cell motility is of great importance to understand diseases. Cell migration can be the cause of cancer progression and metastatic cancer cells. Cell motility is regarded as random cell movement, occurring in almost every cell culture, while cell migration is a response. Cell tracking can be used to distinguish between these parameters.

Single-cell tracking using HoloMonitor® Track Cells Functionality

The most advanced and powerful feature of HoloMonitor is the single-cell tracking functionality that allows monitoring and analysis of cell motility, cell migration and morphology of selected cells.

Details and changes over time are provided for each cell included in the analysis, and in mean values for the selected population.

Identify and analyze individual cells or subpopulations of cells

The HoloMonitor technology provides easy identification of individual cells. Single cells can thus be selected for tracking enabling in-depth analysis of cell movements and changes in morphology over time. When preferred all data can easily be exported for further analysis.

Cell tracking migration results

The tracking data can be displayed in a graph format (left) or directly overlaid on the cell images (right). 

Distinguish between cell motility and cell migration

Cell movement is categorized both by non-directional cell motility speed and by directional cell migration velocity. Cell motility is regarded as random cell movement, occurring in almost every cell culture, while cell migration is a response to a cell attractant or repellent. Cell tracking can be used to distinguish between these parameters.

Video showing L929 cells, first untreated and thereafter treated with colcemid. Note how the drug influences cell motility.

Example how different cells in a population may behave.

Using HoloMonitor® for Cell Motility and Migration Studies

The HoloMonitor® system offers unambiguous, non-invasive quantification of cell migration and motility allowing users to automatically track cell movements over time. Analysis of cell motility and migration can be used for e.g. chemotaxis studies and to assess drug impact on motility.

  • Robust segmentation and tracking of cells of interest.
  • Cell motility speed and cell migration velocity measurements.
  • Directness, i.e. the ratio of migration and motility, indicating how direct a cell or a cell population moves.
  • Non-invasive nature allows subsequent cellular staining for further analysis upon conclusion of holographic imaging.
  • Flexibility for advanced single-cell migration and motility analysis.

When preferred, further analyses can be undertaken for details on cell morphology and other parameters.

Key Publications

More Applications

  • Cell morphology banner

    Cell Morphology Assay

    The HoloMonitor Cell Morphology Assay enables non-invasive live cell quantification of a wide range of morphological properties, including individual cell volume, area and thickness.

  • A wound healing time-lapse image sequence of a wound healing scratch assay, acquired by holographic time-lapse microscopy using the HoloMonitor imaging cytometer.

    Wound Healing Assay

    The HoloMonitor Wound Healing Assay analyze in vitro cell migration. Cell migration speed is automatically determined, directly in your incubator.

  • Single-cell analysis, measuring the height profile of a single cell.

    Single-cell Analysis Assays

    WIth single-cell analysis assays from PHI, you can study cell movement and morphology of living cells directly inside your incubator.