An automated image analysis platform for the study of weakly -adhered cells

Abstract

Details of the design and implementation of an open-source platform for studying the adhesion of cells attached to solid substrata are provided. The hardware is based on a laser-cut flow channel connected to a programmable syringe pump. The software automates all aspects of the flow rate profile, data acquisition and image analysis. An example of the pelagic diatom Thalassiosira rotula adhered to poly(dimethyl siloxane) surfaces is provided. The procedure described enables the shear rate to be converted to drag force for arbitrary-shaped objects, of utility to the study of many cell species, especially ones that are obviously non-spherical. It was determined that 90% of cells are removed with the application of drag forces < $3\times {10}^{-12}$ N, and that this value is relatively independent of the incubation time on the surface. This result is important to understand how marine species interact with polymer surfaces that are used in electrical insulator applications.

Keywords:

• Algae
• polymer surfaces
• insulator fouling
• flow cell
• video processing
• fluid mechanics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through Collaborative Research and Discovery (CRD) and Alliance grants, in partnership with ASAsoft (Canada) Inc. T. rotula parent cultures were grown and maintained in incubation chambers in the laboratory of DEV. Cell morphology characterization was performed at the University of Victoria Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC). Altan Ozkan (University of Texas at Austin) provided advice on the experimental configuration. Waltfred Lee and Prof. Rustom Bhiladvala (University of Victoria, Department of Mechanical Engineering) provided valuable feedback on the fluid mechanics calculations. Comments of Mark Sudul at ASAsoft are acknowledged.