Set the Counting Region by selecting this option under Manual tab on the menu bar. Touch the Center button to see the
counting region highlighted in green. Use the “
-
“ button to reduce the diameter by a few millimeters to help avoid
spurious signals which are common to the edge of the plate.
7. Set colony count parameters. First, select the “Profile” button or touch image to get back to main screen. Press the
small button next to the Min Size value. Set the Min Size threshold (smallest colony size) to ignore small dust particles,
etc (we suggest going one to three clicks smaller than your current plate to accommodate for plate
-
to
-
plate variation).
Next set the Max Size threshold in a similar manner by allowing a little extra size for variation. The last setting is L to W
Ratio which looks at the length to width comparison for each object and rejects it if the ratio is beyond a certain level.
This is a good way to get rid of irregularly shaped images that are not likely to be colonies. As before, give it a little
leeway in case of plate
-
to
-
plate variation. Save in Profile (see the end of step 4).
8. If you plan to count by color, press the Color Chooser button. A bar of 10 color squares will appear. Touch the color
that appear most appropriate. Note that the colors don’t always match perfectly, so perform a COUNT to help optimize
the best color bins to use for your counting application. Save in Profile.
9. Adjusting the “Threshold” count level is the last parameter needed for optimization. This unlabeled slide bar is to the
immediate right of the image while in the Profile screen. By clicking and dragging the button, get an idea where the
counts are most accurate. Then use the small buttons at the top and bottom of the slider to fine
-
tune your counting.
Save this parameter setting. This is now your final Colony Parameter file. Save in Profile.
COUNTING:
Count Using Saved Colony Profiles:
10. First, check to make sure your colony profile is loaded
11. Press the “Count“ button
12. After counting, files can be saved under the File tab on the menu bar as a jpg by pressing Save Data. If you’d prefer
to have a printed document, then select Save PDF. Either of these can be viewed later by simply selecting Load Profile.
