Embodiments of the invention include Optical Cell Guidance (OCG) methods and apparatus to control cell growth. This system guides the leading edge of motile cells with an optical gradient, which biases the cell's motion into the light by pulling on proteins, which act like soft dielectrics in the electromagnetic field. OCG differs from those devices described above in that it controls the direction of cell motility. This is an entirely new field, and the first device to directly manipulate cell motility. OCG differs from current approaches in that it does not trap or hold particles. Instead of trapping and pulling the cell, the goal of OCG is to influence, direct, and control the growth of a growth cone.