Fully-automated image processing software to analyze calcium traces in populations of single cells

We have developed a MATLAB-based image segmentation algorithm that reliably detects individual cells in dense populations and measures their fluorescence intensity over time. To demonstrate the value of this algorithm, we measured store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) in hundreds of individual cells. Rapid access to single-cell calcium signals in large populations allowed us to precisely determine the relationship between SOCE activity and STIM1 levels, a key component of SOCE. Our image processing tool can in principle be applied to a wide range of live-cell imaging modalities and cell-based drug screening platforms.