Geometric Approach to Segmentation and Protein Localization in Cell
Cultured Assays
Int. Symp. on Visual Computing, 2005
S. Raman
B. Parvin
C. Maxwell
M.H. Barcellos-Hoff
ABSTRACT
Cell-based fluorescence imaging assays are heterogeneous requiring collection of a large number of images for detailed
quantitative analysis. Complexities arise as a result of variation in spatial nonuniformity, shape,
overlapping compartments, and scale. A new technique and methodology has been developed and tested for delineating
subcellular morphology and partitioning overlapping compartments at multiple scales. This system is
packaged as an integrated software platform for quantifying images that are obtained through fluorescence
microscopy. Proposed methods are model-based, leveraging geometric shape properties of subcellular
compartments and corresponding protein localization. From the morphological perspective, convexity constraint
is imposed to delineate, partition, and group nuclear compartments. From the protein localization perspective,
radial symmetry is imposed to localize punctate protein events at sub-micron resolution. The technique has been tested against 196 images that were generated to study centrosome
abnormalities. Computed representations are evaluated against the ground truth annotation
for comparative analysis.
click
here to see the full version of the paper in Acrobat format
S. Raman