Adaptive thresholding noise elimination and asymmetric diffusion spot model for 2-DE image analysis

In this paper we suggest two novel methods for an implementation of the spot detection phase in the 2-DE gel image analysis program. The one is the adaptive thresholding method for eliminating noises and the other is the asymmetric diffusion model for spot matching. Remained noises after the preprocessing phase cause the over-segmentation problem by the next segmentation phase. To identify and exclude the over-segmented background regions, il we use a fixed thresholding method that is choosing an intensity value for the threshold, the spots that are invisible by one's human eyes but mean very small amount proteins which have important role in the biological samples could be eliminated. Accordingly we suggest the adaptive thresholding method which comes from an idea that is got on statistical analysis for the prominences of the peaks. There are the Gaussian model and the diffusion model for the spot shape model. The diffusion model is the closer to the real spot shapes than the Gaussian model, but spots have very various and irregular shapes and especially asymmetric formation in x-coordinate and y-coordinate. The reason for irregularity of spot shape is that spots could not be diffused perfectly across gel medium because of the characteristics of 2-DE process. Accordingly we suggest the asymmetric diffusion model for modeling spot shapes. In this paper we present a brief explanation ol the two methods and experimental results.