Use of an automated image processing program to quantify recombinant adenovirus particles.
Electron microscopy has a pivotal role as an analytical tool in pharmaceutical research. However, digital image data have proven to be too large for efficient quantitative analysis. We describe here the development and application of an automated image processing (AIP) program that rapidly quantifies shape measurements of recombinant adenovirus (rAd) obtained from digitized field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images. The program was written using the macro-recording features within Image-Pro Plus software. The macro program, which is linked to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, consists of a series of subroutines designed to automatically measure rAd vector objects from the FESEM images. The application and utility of this macro program has enabled us to rapidly and efficiently analyze very large data sets of rAd samples while minimizing operator time.