Cell Lineage Visualisation

Abstract

Cell lineages describe the developmental history of cell populations and are produced by combining time-lapse imaging and image processing. Biomedical researchers study cell lineages to understand fundamental processes such as cell differentiation and the pharmacodynamic action of anticancer agents. Yet, the interpretation of cell lineages is hindered by their complexity and insufficient capacity for visual analysis. We present a novel approach for interactive visualisation of cell lineages. Based on an understanding of cellular biology and live-cell imaging methodology, we identify three requirements: multimodality (cell lineages combine spatial, temporal, and other properties), symmetry (related to lineage branching structure), and synchrony (related to temporal alignment of cellular events). We address these by combining visual summaries of the spatiotemporal behaviour of an arbitrary number of lineages, including variation from average behaviour, with node-link representations that emphasise the presence or absence of symmetry and synchrony. We illustrate the merit of our approach by presenting a real-world case study where the cytotoxic action of the anticancer drug topotecan was determined.