Abstract
In this study, an image analysis system forfungal pellets was developed using thecommercial software system analySIS¨ and theprotocol was evaluated in morphological studiesof pellet formation in submerged cultures of thebasidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea. Pellets wereanalysed on large scale (60 to 130 pellets perimage, 225 to 400 pellets per culture).Morphologies of pellets were characterised bythe parameters grey value, pellet area, convexity,shape factor, sphericity and pellet diameter.Threshold values were defined for all parametersfor object filtering. By application of theparameter filter, aggregated hyphal fragmentspresent in larger amounts particularly in culturesgrown at higher temperature (370C) could beclearly distinguished in image analysis fromcompact pellets. At a lower growth temperature(250C), there was little background of loosehyphal material, fungal pellets were regularlyshaped and the pellets remained constant in shapeand size over a longer cultivation period.