Slitflow: A Python framework for single-molecule dynamics and localization analysis

Abstract

Single-molecule imaging is a promising method for direct quantification of the dynamics and distribution of biomolecules in living cells. Although numerous methods have been developed to gain biological insights into molecular behavior, the high diversity of microscopes and single-molecule dynamics can result in incomplete reproducibility of analyses. Here, we present Slitflow, an open-source framework for a single-molecule analysis workflow that includes image processing, dynamics analysis, and figure creation. We demonstrated the integrity and flexibility of the workflow using (1) a cherry-picked tracking method combining popular tools and (2) various state-of-the-art analyses in a single pipeline. The software accommodates a large variety of data and methods, paving the way for integrative analyses.

Keywords

• Single-molecule imaging
• Particle tracking
• Super-resolution microscopy
• Image analysis
• Workflow
• Pipeline