automated object length measurement

[Elizabeth Crowell]

Dear list members,

I am a biologist working with time series of germinating seedlings at high
spatial and temporal resolution.  I would like to measure the lengths of the
hypocotyls of these seedlings (the region between the root and the cotyledons).
Since my time series include over 1000 images each, I would like to perform
this measurement with minimal user input.

I hope that there may be a method to detect the hypocotyls at each timepoint,
and measure their length automatically.  Is this possible using the analyze
particles function, for example, by modifying the output in the results table
to include length?  Perhaps there exists a plugin adapted to this type of
analysis?

Two example images at different timepoints are attached.  I think I can improve
the background illumination of the images for better thresholding.
I welcome any comments or suggestions!

Thank you in advance,

Elizabeth Crowell
Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire
INRA / Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin
Route de Saint-Cyr
78026 Versailles cedex
FRANCE

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]