Home Cell Biology Quantitative analysis of Wound Healing, Cell Migration or Scratch Assay using ImageJ Software
Steps
  1. 1 Download and install the wound healing macro 00:07
  2. 2 Open and convert image to 8-bit format 02:06
  3. 3 Configure macro parameters and set threshold 02:28
  4. 4 Define measurement properties and analysis settings 03:43
  5. 5 Execute macro and measure wound area 04:37
  6. 6 Edit region properties and customize visualization 05:34
  7. 7 Save results and export measurement data 07:26
Cell Biology YouTube (Curated Tutorials)

Quantitative analysis of Wound Healing, Cell Migration or Scratch Assay using ImageJ Software

Protocol
Difficulty
intermediate

Steps

1
Download and install the wound healing macro

Download the MRI wound healing tool macro file (with .ijm extension) from the instructional website and install it into ImageJ through the Plugins > Macro > Install menu.

▶ 00:07
2
Open and convert image to 8-bit format

Open the scratch assay image in ImageJ software and convert it to 8-bit format if the original image is in RGB color format.

▶ 02:06
3
Configure macro parameters and set threshold

Right-click on macro option M to open the dialog box and set parameters including method (variance), variance filter radius (20), threshold value (35), and minimum area size for measurement.

▶ 02:28
4
Define measurement properties and analysis settings

Access Analyze > Analyze Particles to set size units (1 to Infinity in square inches), keep circularity settings, and enable Display Results and Overlay options.

▶ 03:43
5
Execute macro and measure wound area

Left-click on macro option M to run the analysis and display the scratch assay area with yellow boundary lines and measurement results including area and standard deviation values.

▶ 04:37
6
Edit region properties and customize visualization

Use the ROI Manager to adjust line properties such as color (change from yellow to red), thickness, and labels; uncheck label options to remove numerical displays for publication purposes.

▶ 05:34
7
Save results and export measurement data

Save the measurement results to an Excel file and save the analyzed image with overlay lines by selecting Save as Overlay in the ROI Manager dialog.

▶ 07:26

🚨 Failure Case Library (3) + Submit your own case

severe
Severe cell detachment around the scratch
After the scratch, the area around the line is littered with detached/floating cells, making the field of view dirty and obscuring later observations.
💡 3 · ✓ 3
severe
Almost no gap at 0 h — cells were too dense
Initial scratch gap is tiny; by 24 h the wound has fully closed, making it impossible to discriminate between groups.
💡 3 · ✓ 3
moderate
Poor reproducibility — imaging position is inconsistent
Wells differ wildly between replicates; quantification jumps around with no clear pattern.
💡 3 · ✓ 3
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