Distribution estimation of synchronized budding yeast population

A method for estimating the distribution of a synchronized budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cell population is presented. The method is based on the analysis of the amounts of genetic material in the individual cells of the population. The analysis is done using data that are obtained with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter by using a novel method for estimating the replication rate of genetic material. The method is tested with real data that were obtained in a time-series budding yeast experiment. In the experiment, samples taken from a synchronized cell population were analyzed with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter, and microscopic imaging was performed as well. It is verified that the distribution estimates that are obtained with the proposed method are in agreement with the results obtained with a bud-counting method that has been proposed earlier.