The cellular growth analyzer: a simpler and more comprehensive scratch assay analyzing program

A scratch, or wound, assay is a low-cost and simple method to measure cells migration; it is also an easy way to measure the growth rate of cancer cells in vitro. It does so by removing a strip of cells from a cell culture dish and then measuring the cell migration and cellular growth back into the “scratch” area. The measurement of this migration and cellular growth has traditionally been done using the program, ImageJ. Though this method can work, it is labor intensive and time consuming. We therefore developed a more automated and easier-to-use Java program designed specifically to analyze scratch assays. By contrasting and separating the pixels that formed the scratch and then counting them to provide a numerical result the migration and growth we significantly improved the speed and ease of the analysis while allowing the results to be easily repeatable when compared to ImageJ. Further development, refining and addition of new features to this software will significantly aid researchers, especially in the area of cancer research and in assessing the effectiveness of various treatments on cell migration.