Microtubule Dynamics: Forward and Backward Gaps

[frankfazekas]

Hi u-track authors/editors,

I've been using u-track to detect and track MT tip comets, as described in the Danuser Lab's paper here. I'm particularly interested in using your software to characterize microtubule instability, namely catastrophe and rescue events.

No forward or backward events have been identified, however, in the "Microtubule dynamics classification" step, regardless of the value of the maximum gaps to close parameter. Is this an issue you've experienced before? All the data I'm working with are 2D. My working theory is that the problem may lie in plusTipCostMatCloseGaps.m. In line 180, for example, since all the entries of vz are NaN, the entries in velInst are also all NaN. There are some similar examples of z-components being NaN potentially throwing things off later on in the same function. Thanks for looking into this issue!