COMSTAT 1

COMSTAT 1 is a program for quantification of three-dimensional biofilm structures. It analyzes stacks of images acquired with confocal laser scanning microscopy (SCLM). It is written as a script in MATLAB 5.3 (MathWorks, http://www.mathworks.com/), equipped with the Image Processing Toolbox. The program is menu controlled, user-friendly, and requires no prior knowledge in programming or image analysis. MATLAB 5.3 equipped with the Image Processing Toolbox must be available on your computer. Later versions of MATLAB will also work fine.

COMSTAT2 is a non-MATLAB based program being developed by Martin Vorregaard under supervision of Claus Sternberg, Bjarne Ersbøll and Søren Molin at the Technical University of Denmark. The COMSTAT2 website can be found here.

COMSTAT 1 has been described in two papers:

Heydorn, A., Nielsen, A.T., Hentzer, M., Sternberg, C., Givskov, M., Ersbøll, B.K., Molin, S. (2000) Quantification of biofilm structures by the novel computer program COMSTAT. Microbiology 146(10), 2395-407.

Heydorn, A., Ersbøll, B.K., Hentzer, M., Parsek, M.R., Givskov, M., and Molin, S. (2000) Experimental Reproducibility in Flow-Chamber Biofilms. Microbiology 146(10), 2409-15.

You can obtain COMSTAT 1 by sending an e-mail to aheydorn1@gmail.com. You will receive the program by e-mail within 2-3 days. Remember to read the COMSTAT manual. Questions, information about errors and suggestions for improvements are welcome.

When using COMSTAT 1, please cite:

Heydorn, A., Nielsen, A.T., Hentzer, M., Sternberg, C., Givskov, M., Ersbøll, B.K., Molin, S. (2000) Quantification of biofilm structures by the novel computer program COMSTAT. Microbiology 146(10), 2395-407.

Arne Heydorn, MD, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Nordsjællands Hospital
Dept. of Endocrinology
Dyrehavevej 29
3400 Hillerød
Denmark

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