Measuring cell movement: Concepts and quantification

Michael Abercrombie (1912–1979) was a pioneering cell and developmental biologist who transformed 20th century developmental biology with both the introduction of timelapse microscopy and quantitative measurements to the investigation of cell behavior and the associated articulation of the concept of contact inhibition of locomotion. We revisit three original papers from the 1950s where Abercrombie and colleagues detailed these new methods and made key discoveries about cell motility with wide application across developmental biology. Together, these papers reveal what would be a lifelong orientation to scientific inquiry that emphasized the use of discriminating experimental procedures and careful attention to detail with the latest available technology to explore basic biological questions about cellular dynamics and interactions during ontogeny. Abercrombie's distinctive orientation patterned subsequent inquiry and left a legacy that is still tightly associated with his name to this day.