Treffer: Microbes, smile for the picture: protocol and guide for capturing images and processing of microbial cultures with smartphones.
Title:
Microbes, smile for the picture: protocol and guide for capturing images and processing of microbial cultures with smartphones.
Authors:
Dos Reis JBA; Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil. jeffersonalmeidareis@gmail.com., Schirmer SC; Postgraduate Program in Ecology, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil., Lauriola CT; Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil., Dos Santos GB; Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil.; Postgraduate Program in Ecology, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil., Rodrigues AJP; Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil., Januário GM; Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil., do Vale HMM; Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil., Pinho DB; Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, DF, Brazil.
Source:
International microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology [Int Microbiol] 2025 Dec; Vol. 28 (8), pp. 2437-2452. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Jul 30.
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: Springer Nature Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 9816585 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1618-1905 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 11396709 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int Microbiol Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Publication: 2018- : Switzerland AG : Springer Nature
Original Publication: Barcelona, Spain : Springer, c1998-
Original Publication: Barcelona, Spain : Springer, c1998-
MeSH Terms:
References:
Arena S (2012) Lighting for digital photography: from snapshots to great shots (using flash and natural light for portrait, still life, action, and product photography). Pearson Education.
Ashique KT, Kaliyadan F (2011) Clinical photography for trichology practice: tips and tricks. Int J Trichology 3(1):7–13. (PMID: 10.4103/0974-7753.82118217692293129132)
Baek SH, Jeon JS, Kwak TY (2023) Color calibration of moist soil images captured under irregular lighting conditions. Comput Electron Agric 214:108299. (PMID: 10.1016/j.compag.2023.108299)
Bah T (2009) Inkscape: guide to a vector drawing program (Digital Short Cut). Pearson Education.
Bah T (2011) Inkscape: guide to a vector drawing program. Prentice Hall Press.
Barman N, Roy AB, Roy RB, Barve V (2022) Understanding the importance of social media as a citizen science platform by using tiger sighting photographs from Facebook. Biodivers Inf Sci Stand 6:e93924.
Barnard K, Funt B (2002) Camera characterisation for color research. Col Res App 27:152–163. https://doi.org/10.1002/col.10050. (PMID: 10.1002/col.10050)
Bernacki J (2020) Automatic exposure algorithms for digital photography. Multimed Tools Appl 79:12751–12776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-019-08318-1. (PMID: 10.1007/s11042-019-08318-1)
Brown RO, MacLeod DI (1997) Color appearance depends on the variance of surround colors. Curr Biol 7(11):844–849. (PMID: 10.1016/S0960-9822(06)00372-19382808)
Burnham RW, Evans RM, Newhall SM (1952) Influence on color perception of adaptation to illumination. JOSA 42(9):597–605. (PMID: 10.1364/JOSA.42.000597)
Cantonwine EA (2017) Smarter hand lens—macro lens attachments for your smart device. Plant Health Instr 10, 2017. Available at: https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/learningPP/Pages/smarterhandlens.aspx . Accessed 13 Feb 2025.
Cortelo PC, Reis JBAD, Guimaraes DO, Chagas FOD, Andrade GAKD, Bezerra J, de Mello TR (2023) Fungos ocultos dos biomas brasileiros: microrganismos desempenham funções ecológicas e contribuem para a diversidade nos biomas brasileiros. Cienc Cult 75(4):01–09. (PMID: 10.5935/2317-6660.20230055)
De Vries JP, Hooge IT, Wertheim AH, Verstraten FA (2013) Background, an important factor in visual search. Vis Res 86:128–138. (PMID: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.04.01023623804)
dos Reis JBA, Bezerra JDP, do Vale HMM (2024) Diversity of cultivable endophytic fungi in a decumbent subshrub endemic of the Brazilian tropical savanna. Folia Microbiol 2024: 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-024-01226-4.
dos Reis JBA, Schirmer SC (2025) Reach of the Instagram profile @microbioworld in popularizing mycology and microbiology. FEMS Microbiol Lett 372:fnaf019. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnaf019. (PMID: 10.1093/femsle/fnaf01939900482)
Frankel E, Temple J, Dikener E, Berkmen M (2023) Bridging the gap with bacterial art. FEMS Microbiol Lett 370:fnad025. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnad025. (PMID: 10.1093/femsle/fnad0253702893010132471)
Gordon NC, Wareham DW (2009) Evaluation of CHROMagar Acinetobacter for detection of enteric carriage of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in samples from critically ill patients. J Clin Microbiol 47(7):2249–2251. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00634-09. (PMID: 10.1128/JCM.00634-09194395462708470)
Guo D, Cheng Y, Zhuo S, Sim T (2010) Correcting over-exposure in photographs. In: 2010 IEEE computer society conference on computer vision and pattern recognition. EUA, San Francisco, 515–521, https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPR.2010.5540170.
Harper D (2004) Photography as social science data. In: Flick U, von Kardorff E, Steinke I (eds) A Companion to Qualitative Research. SAGE, London, pp 231–236.
Hong G, Lou RM, Rhodes PA (2001) A study of digital camera colorimetric characterization based on polynomial modeling. Color Res Appl 26:76–84. (PMID: 10.1002/1520-6378(200102)26:1<76::AID-COL8>3.0.CO;2-3)
Iqbal M (1983) An introduction to solar radiation. Academic Press, New York.
Jiang S, Deng Y, Long Z, Liu P, Hong J, Wei T, Zhang Y, Sun S, Zhuo S, Shang L (2023) Reduction of pyocyanin synthesis and antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by low concentration ethanol. FEMS Microbiol Lett 17(370):fnad069. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnad069. (PMID: 10.1093/femsle/fnad069)
Kim YS, Yang MS, Jeong CG, Chung CU, Oem JK (2022) First Isolation of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the Fungal Causative Agent of White-Nose Syndrome, in Korean Bats (Myotis petax). J Fungi (Basel) 8(10):1072. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8101072. (PMID: 10.3390/jof810107236294636)
Ligne L, Vidal-Diez de Ulzurrun G, Baetens JM, Van den Bulcke J, Van Acker J, De Baets B (2019) Analysis of spatio-temporal fungal growth dynamics under different environmental conditions. IMA Fungus 10:1–13. (PMID: 10.1186/s43008-019-0009-3)
Mannathoko N, Lautenbach E, Mosepele M et al (2023) Performance of CHROMagar ESBL media for the surveillance of extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (ESCrE) from rectal swabs in Botswana. J Med Microbiol 72(11):001770. https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001770. (PMID: 10.1099/jmm.0.0017703799143111145880)
Marković S, Obradović M, Demetriades A (2019) Interactive change of lighting in the portrait images. FME Transact 47(2):327.
Matos VORL, de Jesus SP, da Cunha Claro EA, Fonseca AF, Júnior JV, Antunes RFD, de Mello FE (2023) A method to preserve the morphological characteristics of phytopathogenic fungi in petri dishes. Trop Plant Pathol 48(6):728–730. (PMID: 10.1007/s40858-023-00612-6)
Muraco L (2020) Improved medical photography: key tips for creating images of lasting value. JAMA Dermatol 156(2):121–123. (PMID: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2019.384931895427)
Pérez MM, Della Bona A, Carrillo-Pérez F, Dudea D, Pecho OE, Herrera LJ (2020) Does background color influence visual thresholds? J Dent 102:103475. (PMID: 10.1016/j.jdent.2020.10347532961261)
Ra’fat IF, Almershed AS, Albahli BF, Ali SNAH (2022) Effect of ambient lighting conditions on tooth color quantification in cross-polarized dental photography: a clinical study. J Prosthet Dent 128(4):776–783. (PMID: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2021.01.015)
Rodrigues C, David GQ, dos Reis AR (2022) Photograph registration of petri dishes in high quality and image editing of microbiological assays. Int Microbiol 25(3):561–570. (PMID: 10.1007/s10123-022-00242-z35305184)
Roelofs KA, Esfandiari M, Diniz SB, Cohen LM, Baugh S, Karlin JN et al (2022) The effect of lighting and photograph exposure on perceived attractiveness. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg 38(4):359–363. (PMID: 10.1097/IOP.000000000000211034919069)
Sahand IH, Moragues MD, Eraso E, Villar-Vidal M, Quindós G, Pontón J (2005) Supplementation of CHROMagar Candida medium with Pal’s medium for rapid identification of Candida dubliniensis. J Clin Microbiol 43(11):5768–5770. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.43.11.5768-5770.2005. (PMID: 10.1128/JCM.43.11.5768-5770.2005162725151287798)
Schindelin J, Arganda-Carreras I, Frise E, Kaynig V, Longair M, Pietzsch T et al (2012) Fiji: an open-source platform for biological-image analysis. Nat Methods 9(7):676–682. (PMID: 10.1038/nmeth.201922743772)
Silva TC, Moreira SI, Assis FG Jr et al (2023) An accurate, affordable, and precise resazurin-based digital imaging colorimetric assay for the assessment of fungicide sensitivity status of fungal populations. Agronomy. 13(2):343. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020343. (PMID: 10.3390/agronomy13020343)
Smith P, Schuster M (2021) Inexpensive apparatus for high-quality imaging of microbial growth on agar plates. Front Microbiol 12:689476. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.689476. (PMID: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.689476342766208278329)
Štampfl V, Gabrijelčič Tomc H, Ahtik J (2023) The role of light and shadow in the perception of photographs. Teh Vjesn 30(4):1347–1356.
Stevens M, Párraga CA, Cuthill IC, Partridge JC, Troscianko TS (2007) Using digital photography to study animal coloration. Biol J Linn Soc 90(2):211–237. (PMID: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00725.x)
Thornton SM, Attaluri PK, Wirth PJ, Shaffrey EC, George RE, Carbullido MK, Rao VK (2024) Picture Perfect: Standardizing and Safekeeping Clinical Photography in Plastic Surgery. Aesthet Surg J Open Forum 20(6):ojae012. https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojae012. (PMID: 10.1093/asjof/ojae012)
Villafuerte R, Negro JJ (1998) Digital imaging for colour measurement in ecological research. Ecol Lett 1(3):151–154. (PMID: 10.1046/j.1461-0248.1998.00034.x)
Wang K, Kowalski EJ, Chung KC (2014) The art and science of photography in hand surgery. J Hand Surg 39(3):580–588. (PMID: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2013.03.038)
Zarem HA (1984) Standards of photography. Plast Reconstr Surg 74(1):137–144. (PMID: 10.1097/00006534-198407000-000276739591)
Ashique KT, Kaliyadan F (2011) Clinical photography for trichology practice: tips and tricks. Int J Trichology 3(1):7–13. (PMID: 10.4103/0974-7753.82118217692293129132)
Baek SH, Jeon JS, Kwak TY (2023) Color calibration of moist soil images captured under irregular lighting conditions. Comput Electron Agric 214:108299. (PMID: 10.1016/j.compag.2023.108299)
Bah T (2009) Inkscape: guide to a vector drawing program (Digital Short Cut). Pearson Education.
Bah T (2011) Inkscape: guide to a vector drawing program. Prentice Hall Press.
Barman N, Roy AB, Roy RB, Barve V (2022) Understanding the importance of social media as a citizen science platform by using tiger sighting photographs from Facebook. Biodivers Inf Sci Stand 6:e93924.
Barnard K, Funt B (2002) Camera characterisation for color research. Col Res App 27:152–163. https://doi.org/10.1002/col.10050. (PMID: 10.1002/col.10050)
Bernacki J (2020) Automatic exposure algorithms for digital photography. Multimed Tools Appl 79:12751–12776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-019-08318-1. (PMID: 10.1007/s11042-019-08318-1)
Brown RO, MacLeod DI (1997) Color appearance depends on the variance of surround colors. Curr Biol 7(11):844–849. (PMID: 10.1016/S0960-9822(06)00372-19382808)
Burnham RW, Evans RM, Newhall SM (1952) Influence on color perception of adaptation to illumination. JOSA 42(9):597–605. (PMID: 10.1364/JOSA.42.000597)
Cantonwine EA (2017) Smarter hand lens—macro lens attachments for your smart device. Plant Health Instr 10, 2017. Available at: https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/learningPP/Pages/smarterhandlens.aspx . Accessed 13 Feb 2025.
Cortelo PC, Reis JBAD, Guimaraes DO, Chagas FOD, Andrade GAKD, Bezerra J, de Mello TR (2023) Fungos ocultos dos biomas brasileiros: microrganismos desempenham funções ecológicas e contribuem para a diversidade nos biomas brasileiros. Cienc Cult 75(4):01–09. (PMID: 10.5935/2317-6660.20230055)
De Vries JP, Hooge IT, Wertheim AH, Verstraten FA (2013) Background, an important factor in visual search. Vis Res 86:128–138. (PMID: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.04.01023623804)
dos Reis JBA, Bezerra JDP, do Vale HMM (2024) Diversity of cultivable endophytic fungi in a decumbent subshrub endemic of the Brazilian tropical savanna. Folia Microbiol 2024: 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-024-01226-4.
dos Reis JBA, Schirmer SC (2025) Reach of the Instagram profile @microbioworld in popularizing mycology and microbiology. FEMS Microbiol Lett 372:fnaf019. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnaf019. (PMID: 10.1093/femsle/fnaf01939900482)
Frankel E, Temple J, Dikener E, Berkmen M (2023) Bridging the gap with bacterial art. FEMS Microbiol Lett 370:fnad025. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnad025. (PMID: 10.1093/femsle/fnad0253702893010132471)
Gordon NC, Wareham DW (2009) Evaluation of CHROMagar Acinetobacter for detection of enteric carriage of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in samples from critically ill patients. J Clin Microbiol 47(7):2249–2251. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00634-09. (PMID: 10.1128/JCM.00634-09194395462708470)
Guo D, Cheng Y, Zhuo S, Sim T (2010) Correcting over-exposure in photographs. In: 2010 IEEE computer society conference on computer vision and pattern recognition. EUA, San Francisco, 515–521, https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPR.2010.5540170.
Harper D (2004) Photography as social science data. In: Flick U, von Kardorff E, Steinke I (eds) A Companion to Qualitative Research. SAGE, London, pp 231–236.
Hong G, Lou RM, Rhodes PA (2001) A study of digital camera colorimetric characterization based on polynomial modeling. Color Res Appl 26:76–84. (PMID: 10.1002/1520-6378(200102)26:1<76::AID-COL8>3.0.CO;2-3)
Iqbal M (1983) An introduction to solar radiation. Academic Press, New York.
Jiang S, Deng Y, Long Z, Liu P, Hong J, Wei T, Zhang Y, Sun S, Zhuo S, Shang L (2023) Reduction of pyocyanin synthesis and antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by low concentration ethanol. FEMS Microbiol Lett 17(370):fnad069. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnad069. (PMID: 10.1093/femsle/fnad069)
Kim YS, Yang MS, Jeong CG, Chung CU, Oem JK (2022) First Isolation of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the Fungal Causative Agent of White-Nose Syndrome, in Korean Bats (Myotis petax). J Fungi (Basel) 8(10):1072. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8101072. (PMID: 10.3390/jof810107236294636)
Ligne L, Vidal-Diez de Ulzurrun G, Baetens JM, Van den Bulcke J, Van Acker J, De Baets B (2019) Analysis of spatio-temporal fungal growth dynamics under different environmental conditions. IMA Fungus 10:1–13. (PMID: 10.1186/s43008-019-0009-3)
Mannathoko N, Lautenbach E, Mosepele M et al (2023) Performance of CHROMagar ESBL media for the surveillance of extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (ESCrE) from rectal swabs in Botswana. J Med Microbiol 72(11):001770. https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.001770. (PMID: 10.1099/jmm.0.0017703799143111145880)
Marković S, Obradović M, Demetriades A (2019) Interactive change of lighting in the portrait images. FME Transact 47(2):327.
Matos VORL, de Jesus SP, da Cunha Claro EA, Fonseca AF, Júnior JV, Antunes RFD, de Mello FE (2023) A method to preserve the morphological characteristics of phytopathogenic fungi in petri dishes. Trop Plant Pathol 48(6):728–730. (PMID: 10.1007/s40858-023-00612-6)
Muraco L (2020) Improved medical photography: key tips for creating images of lasting value. JAMA Dermatol 156(2):121–123. (PMID: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2019.384931895427)
Pérez MM, Della Bona A, Carrillo-Pérez F, Dudea D, Pecho OE, Herrera LJ (2020) Does background color influence visual thresholds? J Dent 102:103475. (PMID: 10.1016/j.jdent.2020.10347532961261)
Ra’fat IF, Almershed AS, Albahli BF, Ali SNAH (2022) Effect of ambient lighting conditions on tooth color quantification in cross-polarized dental photography: a clinical study. J Prosthet Dent 128(4):776–783. (PMID: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2021.01.015)
Rodrigues C, David GQ, dos Reis AR (2022) Photograph registration of petri dishes in high quality and image editing of microbiological assays. Int Microbiol 25(3):561–570. (PMID: 10.1007/s10123-022-00242-z35305184)
Roelofs KA, Esfandiari M, Diniz SB, Cohen LM, Baugh S, Karlin JN et al (2022) The effect of lighting and photograph exposure on perceived attractiveness. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg 38(4):359–363. (PMID: 10.1097/IOP.000000000000211034919069)
Sahand IH, Moragues MD, Eraso E, Villar-Vidal M, Quindós G, Pontón J (2005) Supplementation of CHROMagar Candida medium with Pal’s medium for rapid identification of Candida dubliniensis. J Clin Microbiol 43(11):5768–5770. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.43.11.5768-5770.2005. (PMID: 10.1128/JCM.43.11.5768-5770.2005162725151287798)
Schindelin J, Arganda-Carreras I, Frise E, Kaynig V, Longair M, Pietzsch T et al (2012) Fiji: an open-source platform for biological-image analysis. Nat Methods 9(7):676–682. (PMID: 10.1038/nmeth.201922743772)
Silva TC, Moreira SI, Assis FG Jr et al (2023) An accurate, affordable, and precise resazurin-based digital imaging colorimetric assay for the assessment of fungicide sensitivity status of fungal populations. Agronomy. 13(2):343. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020343. (PMID: 10.3390/agronomy13020343)
Smith P, Schuster M (2021) Inexpensive apparatus for high-quality imaging of microbial growth on agar plates. Front Microbiol 12:689476. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.689476. (PMID: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.689476342766208278329)
Štampfl V, Gabrijelčič Tomc H, Ahtik J (2023) The role of light and shadow in the perception of photographs. Teh Vjesn 30(4):1347–1356.
Stevens M, Párraga CA, Cuthill IC, Partridge JC, Troscianko TS (2007) Using digital photography to study animal coloration. Biol J Linn Soc 90(2):211–237. (PMID: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00725.x)
Thornton SM, Attaluri PK, Wirth PJ, Shaffrey EC, George RE, Carbullido MK, Rao VK (2024) Picture Perfect: Standardizing and Safekeeping Clinical Photography in Plastic Surgery. Aesthet Surg J Open Forum 20(6):ojae012. https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojae012. (PMID: 10.1093/asjof/ojae012)
Villafuerte R, Negro JJ (1998) Digital imaging for colour measurement in ecological research. Ecol Lett 1(3):151–154. (PMID: 10.1046/j.1461-0248.1998.00034.x)
Wang K, Kowalski EJ, Chung KC (2014) The art and science of photography in hand surgery. J Hand Surg 39(3):580–588. (PMID: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2013.03.038)
Zarem HA (1984) Standards of photography. Plast Reconstr Surg 74(1):137–144. (PMID: 10.1097/00006534-198407000-000276739591)
Grant Information:
001 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: Microbiology; Mycology; Photography in research; Scientific imaging; Smartphone photography
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20250731 Date Completed: 20251223 Latest Revision: 20251223
Update Code:
20251223
DOI:
10.1007/s10123-025-00701-3
PMID:
40739464
Database:
MEDLINE
Weitere Informationen
Photography has revolutionized science by enabling the documentation and analysis of phenomena, including microbial cultures, where high-quality images are essential for research. However, certain inherent qualities of objects, such as the reflective surfaces of Petri dishes and the characteristics of fungal colonies, often compromise image quality. This highlights the need for accessible, low-cost solutions. Here, we present "Microbes, smile for the picture" (MSFP), a practical, portable, and affordable protocol using smartphones and a handmade photo studio equipped with a ring light, enabling standardized, high-quality images of microbial colonies for scientific and outreach purposes. The aim of this work is to describe the procedure for constructing the photograph studio and a protocol for obtaining high-quality photos. We believe that images captured using our studio and protocol can enhance scientific reproducibility and improve image quality for research, illustration, and science communication. Additionally, this protocol has the potential to be applied in other fields, generating high-quality images for educational and science popularization purposes.
(© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)
Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.