title: Evaluation of colony-forming ability experiments using normal and DNA repair-deficient human fibroblast strains and an automatic colony counter.
abstract: An automated procedure for evaluation of colony-forming ability experiments has been developed using normal and xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblast strains. Technically this consists of an image analyzer equipped with a contrast-intensifying video camera, monitor, and a desk-top computer. Complex structures composed of overlapping colonies could be reduced to the constituent single colonies by special correction programs. Eighteen experiments were evaluated, and the D0 values for colony-forming ability were determined. A systematic but correctable deviation between visual and automated counting was found. The source of this deviation is described and a solution for correction is provided. The automatic procedure reduced the evaluating time by a factor of five to ten.
mesh_terms: D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D004260:DNA Repair; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D014983:Xeroderma Pigmentosum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology