IRIS: More than a colony counter: A smart colony seperator
In modern microbiology labs, speed is essential, but accuracy is critical. When analyzing petri dishes full of bacterial colonies, you don’t just want to know how many colonies are present, you want to know what you're counting. That’s where the IRIS AI colony counter from AAA Lab Service stands out. IRIS does more than count: it recognizes and differentiates between colony types. In short, it’s not just a colony counter, it’s a colony differentiator.
Why colony differentiation is becoming essential
Microbial analysis today goes far beyond simple colony counting. Whether you're working in food safety, clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical quality control, or microbial research, being able to distinguish between colony types gives you better control, deeper insight, and helps prevent costly errors.
- In food safety, you need to detect contamination among normal flora.
- In clinical labs, mixed infections may appear on a single plate.
- In R&D, you’re often tracking specific bacterial growth patterns.
The IRIS colony counter uses automated counting and AI-based image recognition, giving you an immediate and detailed understanding of your samples.
How IRIS differentiates colonies: AI at work
What makes IRIS unique is its AI-powered software, trained on thousands of colony images. This "digital microbiologist" can detect even the smallest visual differences based on:
- Color: from pure white to deep red, even subtle shades
- Shape and edge definition: smooth vs. jagged, symmetrical or irregular
- Surface features: glossy, matte, or textured
- Growth pattern: scattered, clustered, or overlapping
Even when multiple colony types are growing closely together, IRIS reliably distinguishes each type—and it does so in a single scan.
Automatic classification and reporting
Once scanning is complete, IRIS automatically categorizes the colonies based on visual traits. These categories can be preset by you or identified by the system through deep learning. Examples include:
- Target organisms vs. contaminants
- Resistant strains vs. wild-type
- Large vs. small colonies, e.g. for stress studies
- Known vs. unknown patterns, for exploratory research
This classification can be directly integrated with analysis tools or LIMS systems, allowing for instant reporting with detailed colony breakdowns.
Popular applications of IRIS as a colony differentiator
Thanks to its versatility, IRIS is proving indispensable across a wide range of labs. Here are just a few key applications:
1. Food safety testing
Quickly detect unwanted microbial flora among normal bacteria, critical in shelf-life studies and production environments.
2. Pharmaceutical quality assurance
Identify abnormal colonies in cleanroom swabs or production samples. Improve hygiene monitoring and reduce risk.
3. Clinical microbiology
Rapid screening of mixed infections. IRIS helps you avoid manually sorting colonies by type.
4. Research & development
Track colony variation over time, ideal for evolution studies, antibiotic resistance research, and selection experiments.
The advantages at a glance
Using IRIS as a colony differentiator offers more than just time savings:
- Speed: analyze dozens of plates daily without compromising quality
- Objectivity: eliminate analyst interpretation differences
- Repeatability: consistent, high-accuracy results
- Data integration: log and evaluate every colony type by shape, size, color, and location
- Improved quality: reduce human error and improve documentation
You are not just getting a count, you are getting a full profile of what’s growing on each plate.
More than a counter: A digital microbiologist
IRIS changes the way you view your plates. Where a human analyst might overlook subtle variations or make inconsistent judgments due to fatigue or pressure, IRIS remains precise. It truly “understands” what it sees and delivers actionable insights.
It’s like having an extra microbiologist in your lab, one that never takes breaks and always works consistently. In fact, IRIS often outperforms even the most experienced eyes.
Counting and differentiating: All in one system
Of course, IRIS is also a top-tier automatic colony counter. But by combining counting and differentiation in a single workflow, it elevates microbiological analysis to a whole new level. More information on using IRIS in order to seperate colonies can be found on this page.
You no longer have to choose between speed and detail, IRIS delivers both. Curious? Contact us for more information or to request a demo! Want to see how IRIS differentiates colonies on your own samples? AAA Lab Service offers live demonstrations, on-site or via Teams. Our specialists will show you exactly how IRIS works and how it can support your lab’s specific needs.
In summary: With IRIS, you get more out of every petri dish. Faster, smarter, and more reliable colony differentiation. That is the power of intelligent automation in your lab!
