Induced Droplet Ovalisation (IDO): Image-based microfluidic method for high-throughput and label-free characterization of microbial proteolytic strains from wastewater sludge

High-speed camera recordings for image analysis of bacterial colonies encapsulated in gelatine droplets (Dataset for https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925400525013309).Detailed description can be found in the attached readme.txt.Aims: To develop a label-free, high-throughput microfluidic method for screening proteolytic bacteria from environmental samples, overcoming the limits of traditional cultivation.Methods: Single cells were encapsulated in gelatine droplets, deformed in a custom microfluidic device, and analyzed via high-speed imaging and AI-based classification.Conclusions: The IDO method distinguished proteolytic from non-proteolytic strains with higher sensitivity, throughput, and recovery than plate assays, offering a cost-efficient and scalable tool for microbial and hydrogel studies.