Method of selecting microorganism isolates on a high-density growth platform

A method of using a device comprising a plurality of microscale experimental units, the method comprising:

• in each of a plurality of experimental units, providing at least one cell and an indicator capable of producing an optical signal;
• incubating the device at predetermined conditions for a duration of time to grow a plurality of cells from the at least one cell in each of the plurality of experimental units;
• measuring at least one optical property of the contents of each of the plurality of experimental units during or after the incubation, wherein measuring at least one optical property comprises measuring the at least one optical property of the contents of each of the plurality of experimental units at multiple time points during the incubation;
• analyzing the measured at least one optical property for each of the plurality of experimental units, wherein analyzing the measured at least one optical property for each of the plurality of experimental units comprises a comparison among the at least one optical property of each of the plurality of experimental units measured at multiple time points;
• and
• based on the analysis, selecting some of the plurality of cells in one or more of the plurality of experimental units.