Automated image analysis to improve bead ingestion toxicity test counts in the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis.
OBJECTIVE
To improve bead ingestion counts in Tetrahymena pyriformis by automated image analysis as an alternative to direct-counts.


RESULTS
Fluorescent latex beads were added to T. pyriformis cultures for ingestion tests. The number of beads ingested by 25 cells was counted directly by epifluorescence microscopy and compared with similar data from image analysis. anova indicated that counts were not significantly different (P < 0.05). The image analysis particularly provided advantages in terms of speed.


CONCLUSIONS
The image analysis is superior to direct beads counting in T. pyriformis particularly in terms of speed of analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
The image analysis method is very rapid and will allow many more toxicological analyses to be undertaken with less operator error.
Dias
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Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal. nelson@iec.um.inho.pt
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Ferreira
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Lima
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D000818:Animals; D001331:Automation; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008863:Microspheres; D013769:Tetrahymena pyriformis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018675:Toxicity Tests
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes