Automated platform for cell selection and separation based on four-dimensional motility and matrix degradation.

Motility and invasion are key steps in the metastatic cascade, enabling cells to move through normal tissue borders into the surrounding stroma. Most available in vitro assays track cell motility or cell invasion but lack the ability to measure both simultaneously and then separate single cells with unique behaviors. In this work, we developed a cell-separation platform capable of tracking cell movement (chemokinesis) and invasion through an extracellular matrix in space and time.

Fluorophore Assisted Photolysis of Thiolato-Cob(III)alamins.

Cobalamins are known to react with thiols to yield stable β-axial Co(III)-S bonded thiolato-cobalamin complexes. However, in stark contrast to the Co-C bond in alkylcobalamins, the photolability of the Co-S bond in thiolato-cobalamins remains undetermined. We have investigated the photolysis of N-acetylcysteinyl cob(III)alamin at several wavelengths within the ultraviolet and visible spectrum.