Software

Chrome-Q is a Xamarin C# app created in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 Community Edition. The app was developed for mobile Android devices and will soon be available for iOS devices. A photo is taken (within the app) of the Chrome-Q dome target base (that contains the rows of samples in triplicate). The app finds the samples in the photo by looking for low luminance values compared to the high luminance values in the white background. Then, the app finds the average hue and luminance for each sample by averaging the RGB values for all of the pixels in the circular sample. It groups the samples into rows by comparing their vertical locations in the photo. After grouping into rows, it calculates the average RGB values for the entire row to generate an average hue and luminance for the triplicate. The average hue and luminance are utilized to calculate the standard deviation of the triplicate. By looking at the standard deviation, it was determined that the hue values were most consistent in the triplicate. These values can then be used to compare relative levels of degradation between the different constructs (tsPurple, tsPurpleDAS, and tsPurpleLAA).

Chromoprotein samples in the Chrome-Q well plate and the Chrome-Q app recognizing the colors (represented by the green dots)



Data gathered on tsPurple samples using the Chrome-Q model and app



The hue values of tsPurple at different levels of IPTG induction

Important Note: Hues values range from 0 to 360 degrees. The hue values in the samples begin at around 270 degrees (purple) and increase through 360 degrees. The hues value 0 uL IPTG concentration wraps around to a low hue value of around 40 degrees. To process these hues, 360 degrees were added to values less than 180 degrees, which is why some values are greater than 360.

The % purple of tsPurple samples at different levels of IPTG induction



Team member Emily Gibson using the Chrome-Q system

References

Dhakar, L. (n.d.). Image Color Picker (Z. A., Ed.). Retrieved October 10, 2017, from http://www.colorcodepicker.com/

Purple color codes. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2017, from http://www.rapidtables.com/web/color/purple-color.htm

RGB Color Gradient Maker. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2017, from http://www.perbang.dk/rgbgradient/

Tamura, K., Shimada, T., Ono, E., Tanaka, Y., Nagatani, A., Higashi, S., . . . Hara-Nishimura, I. (2003, September). Why green fluorescent fusion proteins have not been observed in the vacuoles of higher plants. The Plant Journal, 35(4), 545-555. doi:10.1046/j.1365-313X.2003.01822.x