Life Science Technologies Cell Analysis

The shape we’re in Since its inception, cell biology has been a fundamentally visual science. Fibroblasts are elongated; neurons are dendritic. Mitotic cells have spindles; apoptotic cells have blebs. The field’s clinical cousins—pathology and hematology—also rely heavily on cell shape. Pathologists classify tumors by how far their cells deviate from their normal forms, while hematologists identify and count different leukocytes by sight. This visual approach has driven decades of crucial discoveries and decorated countless labs with stunning wall art, but it’s also revealed the limits of traditional techniques. To push the field further, cell biologists have begun borrowing machine-learning and data-mining tools from computer science, while engineers are designing imaging and microscopy systems that enable entirely novel analyses. At the same time, biologists are gaining a better appreciation of the importance of cell morphology. Although researchers have long known that genetic and epigenetic mechanisms can alter cells’ shapes, recent work has shown that the reverse is also true. Now, a combination of innovative 3D culture systems, automated image analysis, and sophisticated microscopic shape mapping is driving a rush of groundbreaking discoveries.