Cell image analysis: Algorithms, system and applications

Abstract

We present several algorithms for cell image analysis including microscopy image restoration, cell event detection and cell tracking in a large population. The algorithms are integrated into an automated system capable of quantifying cell proliferation metrics in vitro in real-time. This offers unique opportunities for biological applications such as efficient cell behavior discovery in response to different cell culturing conditions and adaptive experiment control. We quantitatively evaluated our system's performance on 16 microscopy image sequences with satisfactory accuracy for biologists' need. We have also developed a public website compatible to the system's local user interface, thereby allowing biologists to conveniently check their experiment progress online. The website will serve as a community resource that allows other research groups to upload their cell images for analysis and comparison.