The colony counter will feature a main unit as well as a video monitor. The main unit features the illumination stage. It also has a video monitor, as well as controls so the end user is able to change up the parameters as needed for different types of work. Users will also be able to adjust the aperture so they can alter the position and the size of the scanning area while they are counting. With some units, you can add different lenses which can help to magnify the slide or dish to make counting easier. Some of the other parameters you are usually able to set include day, users, and project.

Many of the best colony counters on the market are relatively easy to use. You will place your petri dish, slide, or other objects onto the main unit’s stage. The camera will then scan the object. The user can make adjustments to the machine to fine tune it. Many of the machines have an illumination stage. Since objects and backgrounds are different, it is important to tune the illumination method (transmitted, reflected, darkfield) that will work the best for your particular object.

In microbiology, having accurate counts of bacterial colonies is highly important, and colony counters are the best method to get a good estimate of the number of colonies. The scientist can use these counters to collect this piece of data, which can play a huge role in antibiotic studies and microorganism research. Often, this is challenging though, as the colonies can be quite small. Using a quality counter will help to reduce the tedium and provide better and more accurate overall results.

• Microbiology
• Ames Testing
• Bacterial mutation assays
• E. coli bacterial colonies

• American Optical
• Fisher Scientific
• Microbiology International
• Molecular Devices LLC
• Bibby Scientific Limited
• Lab-Line
• Synoptics
• Gallenkamp