With a cell invasion assay, a researcher is monitoring the cell movement through extracellular matrices whereas in a cell migration assay, the researcher is is monitoring the cell movement through a porous membrane. Cell invasion assays are particularly useful to understand various areas of research such as embryonic development, immune responses, and angiogenesis. These in vitro assays typically consists of two chambers separated by a filter, with added extracellular matrix components, and the cell migration between the two chambers is observed.