A frequent imaging problem in cancer biology and vascular research is: “How do I automatically image and quantify microvessel formation or 3D spheroid invasion across many wells?” Manual tracing of tube networks or invasion fronts is slow, subjective and hard to reproduce. Labs need a microscope that can both capture the assay and feed a quantitative analysis pipeline.
This guide compares the practical options for UK labs: high-content screening platforms, benchtop inverted systems, and open-source image-analysis workflows.
What the Assay Actually Looks Like
Two common formats dominate the workflow:
- Tube formation (angiogenesis) — endothelial cells (often HUVEC) are seeded on a basement-membrane matrix such as Matrigel and form capillary-like networks within hours. Readouts include total tube length, branching points, mesh area and loop number.
- 3D spheroid invasion — compact tumour or endothelial spheroids are embedded in a hydrogel and allowed to sprout or invade over days. Readouts include invasion distance, area, cell count and morphology of invasive protrusions.
Key imaging requirement: you need enough field-of-view to see the whole network or spheroid, enough resolution to resolve thin tubes or individual cells, and a reproducible stage so that multi-well or time-lapse images align for analysis.
CellInsight CX7 for High-Throughput Angiogenesis and Invasion
When the experiment scales beyond a few wells, the CellInsight CX7 is the most efficient platform. It combines automated XY stage control, multi-channel fluorescence, brightfield and, in the LZR Pro configuration, confocal-quality optical sectioning.
- Whole-plate acquisition — capture every well of a 96- or 384-well plate under identical conditions.
- Integrated analysis — HCS Studio can segment vessel networks or spheroid boundaries and report length, branching and invasion area.
- 3D readouts — Z-stacks and confocal sectioning give depth-resolved invasion measurements.
- Screening-ready statistics — dose-response curves, EC50 and replicate well statistics are generated automatically.
CellInsight CX7 Review UK
EVOS M7000 for Live Microvessel and Invasion Time-Lapse
The EVOS M7000 is the benchtop alternative when you want to follow network formation or spheroid sprouting over time, rather than screen hundreds of compounds. Its strengths are:
- Live-cell imaging — on-stage incubator (OSI-2) keeps HUVEC or tumour spheroids at 37 °C and 5% CO₂.
- Motorised Z-stacks — capture the full depth of invading structures.
- Multi-well scanning — run the same time-lapse across several wells unattended.
- Easy export — move TIFF stacks into Fiji, CellProfiler or the 2024 CMBE open-source pipeline for analysis.
EVOS M7000 Review UK
EVOS M7000 Z-Stacks & 3D Deconvolution
Frequently Asked Questions
What microscope is best for microvessel formation and cell invasion assays?
For high-throughput tube formation, sprouting or invasion assays, a high-content screening platform such as the CellInsight CX7 is best because it can image full 96- or 384-well plates and run integrated vessel/invasion analysis. For lower throughput live-cell work, the EVOS M7000 with motorised Z-stacks and time-lapse is a strong benchtop alternative. For one-off projects, an inverted fluorescence microscope plus open-source software such as AngioTool or the 2024 CMBE open-source pipeline can be enough.
Can I image microvessel formation on an EVOS system?
Yes. EVOS M5000 and M7000 can image tube formation and spheroid sprouting assays in brightfield or fluorescence. The M7000 adds automated multi-well scanning, Z-stacks and live-cell environmental control, which makes it easier to follow vessel networks over time. Analysis is usually done in Celleste or by exporting images to Fiji/AngioTool.
What is the best open-source tool to analyse angiogenesis images?
AngioTool is the classic NIH-funded open-source tool for quantifying vessel networks from 2D images. For 3D spheroid invasion, CellProfiler, Fiji with 3D Suite, or the 2024 CMBE open-source software for microvessel formation and cell invasion are good choices. These tools measure total tube length, branching points, mesh area and invasion distance.
Do I need fluorescence for tube formation assays?
No. Tube formation assays are classically read by brightfield or phase contrast because HUVEC networks are visible without staining. Fluorescence becomes useful if you are co-labelling pericytes, measuring viability, or tracking GFP-labelled endothelial cells in a co-culture.
How does CellInsight CX7 automate 3D invasion analysis?
CellInsight CX7 captures multi-channel, multi-field images across full plates. With HCS Studio software you can segment spheroids or vessel networks, extract 3D morphology metrics such as invasion area, branching and total network length, and export plate-level statistics. The LZR laser option gives confocal-quality sectioning for dense or thick samples.
What is the cheapest way to start quantifying cell invasion in a UK lab?
Use an existing inverted tissue-culture microscope with a camera, capture brightfield images of Matrigel drop or spheroid invasion assays, and analyse them with free software (AngioTool for tube formation; Fiji or CellProfiler for invasion distance). When throughput or reproducibility becomes limiting, move to an EVOS M7000 for live time-lapse or a CellInsight CX5/CX7 for plate-based screens.