ScanGrow

ScanGrow is an open-source software tool that offers a cost-effective and high-throughput alternative to traditional spectrophotometric plate readers for monitoring bacterial growth curves. The tool utilizes a deep learning model trained on scanned images of bacterial cultures in microplates, eliminating the need for expensive equipment. ScanGrow automates the process by triggering a flatbed scanner to capture images at regular intervals, processing the images, and generating growth curves. The application also provides data pre-processing features to create and evaluate new models, potentially simplifying routine microbiological techniques. By requiring only a computer connected to a flatbed scanner, ScanGrow presents a novel, accessible, and efficient approach to monitoring bacterial growth in microbiology laboratories.