Development of a visual analytics system for cell division dynamics in early C.elegans embryos

Abstract

In order to elucidate the developmental mechanisms of multicellular organisms, it is important to quantify the spatiotemporal features (phenotypic characteristics) of cells appearing during cell division and to analyze their relationships (correlations). Many analytical techniques have been proposed, including graph visualization technology. However, in addition to specifying interesting characteristics from large data, obtaining biological interpretations is difficult and time-consuming. To solve such problems, we developed a visual analysis system that enables exploratory analysis by linking the phenotypic characteristics of nematodes to the spatiotemporal shape of the cell nucleus. Through our experiments, we performed user evaluations for experts who research the developmental dynamics of the cells. This system enabled the users to analyze these dynamics thoroughly and develop novel concepts.