Methods and measures for investigating microscale motility

Abstract: Motility is an essential factor for an organism's survival and diversification. With the advent of novel single-cell technologies, analytical frameworks and theoretical methods, we can begin to probe the complex lives of microscopic motile organisms and answer the intertwining biological and physical questions of how these diverse lifeforms navigate their surroundings. Herein, we give an overview of different experimental, analytical, and mathematical methods used to study a suite of microscale motility mechanisms across different scales encompassing molecular-, individual- to population-level. We identify transferable techniques, pressing challenges, and future directions in the field. This review can serve as a starting point for researchers who are interested in exploring and quantifying the movements of organisms in the microscale world.