Researchers from the Optical Cell Biology laboratory at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) among the 35 winners of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Grants. The project led by IGC aims to improve the quality and usability of open-source image analysis software. By contributing to the development of accessible imaging approaches, the project could boost and fasten the pace of new discoveries. 

Despite numerous innovations in the field, researchers are still faced with many challenges both in visualizing complex imaging datasets and finding the right analysis workflow to address their cell biology and biophysical questions. Over the last few years, napari has become one of the leading tools to visualize and analyze large and multidimensional images. With this open-source platform, researchers who are building the latest deep learning methods to capture images and study details of viral replication, for example, can immediately share their workflow with the rest of the scientific community. By making image analysis more accessible, this type of platform promotes collaboration and reproducibility in science. 

The project “Cutting-Edge Super-Resolution Image Analysis in napari with NanoJ”, led by IGC’s principal investigator Ricardo Henriques, was selected in the second funding cycle of the napari Plugin Foundations grants. The project has received $25 thousand to refactor an established imaging analysis tool (NanoJ) into an ecosystem of plugins in napari to enable next-generation high-performance, super-resolution microscopy analysis. 

The development and enhancement of this platform could help researchers from all over the world visualize and analyze datasets more efficiently, deepening their understanding of human biology and paving the way toward breakthroughs in biomedical research.