A Matlab-based application for quantification of yeast cell growth on solid media

Abstract

Quantitative assessment of growth and survival is a suitable technique in studying biochemical, genetic and physiological processes in the cells. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most widely used eukaryotic model organisms for studying cellular mechanisms and processes in evolutionarily distant species, including humans. Yeast growth can be evaluated on both liquid and solid media by measuring cell suspension turbidity and colony forming units, respectively. Several software tools utilizing different parameters have been proposed to quantify yeast growth on solid media. Here, we developed a Matlab-based application which provides a rapid and robust quantitative yeast growth analysis from spot plating assay. Spot plating assay is a typical procedure to evaluate yeast growth in low-throughput laboratory settings, including growth on different nutrient sources or treatment with specific stressors. The app has a one-step installation process, a self-explanatory interface and shorter analysis steps compared with previous established methods, providing a useful tool for both expert and non-expert yeast researchers.