Quantifying Immune Cell Force Generation Using Traction Force Microscopy

Immune cells rely on the generation of mechanical force to carry out their function. Consequently, there is a pressing need for quantitative methodologies that permit the probing of the spatio-temporal distribution of mechanical forces generated by immune cells. In this chapter, we provide a guide to quantify immune cell force generation using traction force microscopy (TFM), with a specific focus on its application to the study of the T-cell immunological synapse.