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Biological Image Analysis

GitHub repository ↗ synced 2026/8/9

Awesome Biological Image Analysis Awesome

Tools and resources for biological image analysis.

Biological image analysis aims to increase our understanding of biology through the use of various computational techniques and approaches to obtain valuable information from images.

General image analysis software

3D Slicer

Free, open source and multi-platform software package widely used for medical, biomedical, and related imaging research.

BiaPy

Open source ready-to-use all-in-one library that provides deep-learning workflows for a large variety of bioimage analysis tasks.

Cell-ACDC

A GUI-based Python framework for segmentation, tracking, cell cycle annotations and quantification of microscopy data.

CellProfiler

Open-source software helping biologists turn images into cell measurements.

CellProfiler Analyst

Open-source software for exploring and analyzing large, high-dimensional image-derived data.

Fiji

A "batteries-included" distribution of ImageJ — a popular, free scientific image processing application.

Flika

An interactive image processing program for biologists written in Python.

Icy

Open community platform for bioimage informatics, providing software resources to visualize, annotate and quantify bioimaging data.

Ilastik

Simple, user-friendly tool for interactive image classification, segmentation and analysis.

ImageJ

Public domain software for processing and analyzing scientific images.

ImageJ2

A Rewrite of ImageJ for multidimensional image data, with a focus on scientific imaging.

ImagePy

Open source image processing framework written in Python.

Napari

Fast, interactive, multi-dimensional image viewer for Python.

OpenCV

Open source computer vision and machine learning software library.

PYME

Open-source application suite for light microscopy acquisition, data storage, visualization, and analysis.

Scikit-image

Collection of algorithms for image processing.

Image processing and segmentation

Ark-Analysis

A pipeline toolbox for analyzing multiplexed imaging data.

AtomAI

PyTorch-based package for deep/machine learning analysis of microscopy data.

Cellpose

A generalist algorithm for cell and nucleus segmentation.

CellSAM

A foundation model for cell segmentation trained on a diverse range of cells and data types.

Cellshape

3D single-cell shape analysis of cancer cells using geometric deep learning.

CellVit++

A framework for lightweight cell segmentation model training and inference.

Classpose

A foundation model-driven whole slide image-scale cell phenotyping method with QuPath integration.

CLIJ2

GPU-accelerated image processing library for ImageJ/Fiji, Icy, MATLAB and Java.

DeepCell

Deep learning library for single cell analysis.

DeepSlide

A sliding window framework for classification of high resolution microscopy images.

EBImage

Image processing toolbox for R.

FlashDeconv

High-performance spatial transcriptomics deconvolution for cell type mapping using structure-preserving randomized sketching.

GPim

Gaussian processes and Bayesian optimization for images and hyperspectral data.

HistoPLUS

Pre-trained model for cell nuclei segmentation and classification in histology images.

HoVer-Net

A multi-branch network for nuclear instance segmentation and classification with pre-trained weights.

MAPS

MAPS (Machine learning for Analysis of Proteomics in Spatial biology) is a machine learning approach facilitating rapid and precise cell type identification with human-level accuracy from spatial proteomics data.

MicroSAM

Tools for segmentation and tracking in microscopy build on top of SegmentAnything. Segment and track objects in microscopy images interactively.

MorpholibJ

Collection of mathematical morphology methods and plugins for ImageJ.

Nellie

Automated organelle segmentation, tracking, and hierarchical feature extraction in 2D/3D live-cell microscopy.

PartSeg

A GUI and a library for segmentation algorithms.

PyImSegm

Image segmentation - general superpixel segmentation and center detection and region growing.

Salem²

Segment Anything in Light and Electron Microscopy via Membrane Guidance.

Squidpy

Python framework that brings together tools from omics and image analysis to enable scalable description of spatial molecular data, such as transcriptome or multivariate proteins.

SplineDist

Object detection with spline curves.

StarDist

Object detection with Star-convex shapes.

Suite2p

Pipeline for processing two-photon calcium imaging data.

SyMBac

Accurate segmentation of bacterial microscope images using synthetically generated image data.

Trainable Weka Segmentation

Fiji plugin and library that combines a collection of machine learning algorithms with a set of selected image features to produce pixel-based segmentations.

  • Proseg : A cell segmentation method for in situ spatial transcriptomics.

Ecology

PAT-GEOM

A software package for the analysis of animal colour pattern.

ThermImageJ

ImageJ functions and macros for working with thermal image files.

Neuroscience

AxonDeepSeg

Segment axon and myelin from microscopy data using deep learning.

BG-atlasAPI

A lightweight Python module to interact with atlases for systems neuroscience.

Brainreg

Automated 3D brain registration with support for multiple species and atlases.

Brainrender

Python package for the visualization of three dimensional neuro-anatomical data.

CaImAn

Computational toolbox for large scale Calcium Imaging Analysis.

Cellfinder

Automated 3D cell detection and registration of whole-brain images.

CloudVolume

Read and write Neuroglancer datasets programmatically.

NeuroAnatomy Toolbox

R package for the (3D) visualisation and analysis of biological image data, especially tracings of single neurons.

Neuroglancer

WebGL-based viewer for volumetric data.

NeuronJ

An ImageJ plugin for neurite tracing and analysis.

Panda

Pipeline for Analyzing braiN Diffusion imAges: A MATLAB toolbox for pipeline processing of diffusion MRI images.

PyTorch Connectomics

Deep learning framework for automatic and semi-automatic annotation of connectomics datasets, powered by PyTorch.

SNT

ImageJ framework for semi-automated tracing and analysis of neurons.

TrailMap

Software package to extract axonal data from cleared brains.

Wholebrain

Automated cell detection and registration of whole-brain images with plot of cell counts per region and Hemishpere.

ZVQ - Zebrafish Vascular Quantification

Image analysis pipeline to perform 3D quantification of the total or regional zebrafish brain vasculature using the image analysis software Fiji.

Plant science

Aradeepopsis

A versatile, fully open-source pipeline to extract phenotypic measurements from plant images.

LeafByte

Free and open source mobile app for measuring herbivory quickly and accurately.

PaCeQuant

An ImageJ-based tool which provides a fully automatic image analysis workflow for PC shape quantification.

PhenotyperCV

Header-only C++11 library using OpenCV for high-throughput image-based plant phenotyping.

PlantCV

Open-source image analysis software package targeted for plant phenotyping.

PlantSeg

Tool for cell instance aware segmentation in densely packed 3D volumetric images.

RhizoTrak

Open source tool for flexible and efficient manual annotation of complex time-series minirhizotron images.

Rhizovision Explorer

Free and open-source software developed for estimating root traits from images acquired from a flatbed scanner or camera.

RootPainter

Deep learning segmentation of biological images with corrective annotation.

Fluoresence in situ hybridization

Big-fish

Python package for the analysis of smFISH images.

DypFISH

Python library for spatial analysis of smFISH images.

RS-FISH

Fiji plugin to detect FISH spots in 2D/3D images which scales to very large images.

Spotiflow

A deep learning-based, threshold-agnostic, and subpixel-accurate spot detection method developed for spatial transcriptomics workflows.

TissUUmaps

Visualizer of NGS data, plot millions of points and interact, gate, export. ISS rounds and base visualization.

Electron and super resolution microscopy

ASI_MTF

ImageJ macro to calculate the modulation transfer function (MTF) based on a knife edge (or slanted edge) measurement.

Empanada

Panoptic segmentation algorithms for 2D and 3D electron microscopy images.

Em-scalebartools

Fiji/ImageJ macros to quickly add a scale bar to an (electron microscopy) image.

Picasso

A collection of tools for painting super-resolution images.

SMAP

A modular super-resolution microscopy analysis platform for SMLM data.

ThunderSTORM

A comprehensive ImageJ plugin for SMLM data analysis and super-resolution imaging.

Image restoration and quality assessment

CSBDeep

A deep learning toolbox for microscopy image restoration and analysis.

Ijp-color

Plugins for ImageJ - color space conversions and color calibration.

Image Quality

Open source software library for Image Quality Assessment (IQA).

LLSpy

Python library to facilitate lattice light sheet data processing.

NCS

Noise correction algorithm for sCMOS cameras.

Cell migration and particle tracking

CellMigration

Analysis of 2D cell migration in Igor.

TrackMate

User-friendly interface that allows for performing tracking, data visualization, editing results and track analysis in a convenient way.

TrackMateR

R package to analyze cell migration and particle tracking experiments using outputs from TrackMate.

Trackpy

Fast and Flexible Particle-Tracking Toolkit.

TracX

MATLAB generic toolbox for cell tracking from various microscopy image modalities such as Bright-field (BF), phase contrast (PhC) or fluorescence (FL) with an automated track quality assessment in

TraJClassifier

Fiji plugin that loads trajectories from TrackMate, characterizes them using TraJ and classifiies them into normal diffusion, subdiffusion, confined diffusion and directed/active motion by a random forest approach (through Renjin).

QuimP

Software for tracking cellular shape changes and dynamic distributions of fluorescent reporters at the cell membrane.

Ultrack

Versatile cell tracking method for 2D, 3D, and multichannel timelapses, overcoming segmentation challenges in complex tissues.

Usiigaci

Stain-free cell tracking in phase contrast microscopy enabled by supervised machine learning.

absence of a ground truth.

Pathology

FastPathology

Open-source software for deep learning-based digital pathology.

HistoClean

Tool for the preprocessing and augmentation of images used in deep learning models.

Minerva

Image viewer designed specifically to make it easy for non-expert users to interact with complex tissue images.

Orbit

A versatile image analysis software for biological image-based quantification using machine learning, especially for whole slide imaging.

PathML

An open-source toolkit for computational pathology and machine learning.

PAQUO

A library for interacting with QuPath from Python.

QuPath

Open source software for digital pathology image analysis.

Mycology

DeepMushroom

Image classification of fungus using ResNet.

Fungal Feature Tracker (FFT)

Tool to quantitatively characterize morphology and growth of filamentous fungi.

Microbiology

BactMap

A command-line based R package that allows researchers to transform cell segmentation and spot detection data generated by different programs into various plots.

BacStalk

Interactive and user-friendly image analysis software tool to investigate the cell biology of common used bacterial species.

BiofilmQ

Advanced biofilm analysis tool for quantifying the properties of cells inside large 3-dimensional biofilm communities in space and time.

Yeast imaging

BABY

An image processing pipeline for accurate single-cell growth estimation of

htsimaging

Python package for high-throughput single-cell imaging analysis.

YeastMate

Neural network-assisted segmentation of mating and budding events in S. cerevisiae.

YeaZ

An interactive tool for segmenting yeast cells using deep learning.

budding cells from bright-field stacks.

Other

AICSImageIO

Image reading, metadata conversion, and image writing for nicroscopy images in Python.

Biobeam

Open source software package that is designed to provide fast methods for in-silico optical experiments with an emphasize on image formation in biological tissues.

BoneJ

Collection of Fiji/ImageJ plug-ins for skeletal biology.

CaPTk

Cancer Imaging Phenomics Toolkit: A software platform to perform image analysis and predictive modeling tasks.

ColiCoords

Python project for analysis of fluorescence microscopy data from rodlike cells.

CompactionAnalyzer

Python package to quantify the tissue compaction (as a measure of the contractile strength) generated by cells or multicellular spheroids that are embedded in fiber materials.

Cytominer-database

Command-line tools for organizing measurements extracted from images.

DetecDiv

Comprehensive set of tools to analyze time microscopy images using deep learning methods.

MIA

Fiji plugin which provides a modular framework for assembling image and object analysis workflows.

MorphoGraphX

Open source application for the visualization and analysis of 4D biological datasets.

Napari-aicsimageio

Multiple file format reading directly into napari using pure Python.

NEFI2

Python tool created to extract networks from images.

Neurite

Neural networks toolbox focused on medical image analysis.

Nd2reader

A pure-Python package that reads images produced by NIS Elements 4.0+.

OAD

Collection of tools and scripts useful to automate microscopy workflows in ZEN Blue using Python and Open Application Development tools.

Pycytominer

Data processing functions for profiling perturbations.

Pyotf

A simulation software package for modelling optical transfer functions (OTF)/point spread functions (PSF) of optical microscopes written in Python.

PyScratch

Open source tool that autonomously performs quantitative analysis of in vitro scratch assays.

Quanfima

Quantitative Analysis of Fibrous Materials: A collection of useful functions for morphological analysis and visualization of 2D/3D data from various areas of material science.

SimpleITK

Open-source multi-dimensional image analysis in Python, R, Java, C#, Lua, Ruby, TCL and C++.

Vaa3D

Open-source software for 3D/4D/5D image visualization and analysis.

XitoSBML

ImageJ plugin which creates a Spatial SBML model from segmented images.

Z-stack Depth Color Code

ImageJ/Fiji plugin to colorcode Z-stacks/hyperstacks.

ZeroCostDL4Mic

Google Colab to develop a free and open-source toolbox for deep-Learning in microscopy.

ZetaStitcher

Tool designed to stitch large volumetric images such as those produced by light-sheet fluorescence microscopes.

Publications

A Hitchhiker's guide through the bio-image analysis software universe

An article presenting a curated guide and glossary of bio-image analysis terms and tools.

Biological imaging software tools

The steps of biological image analysis and the appropriate tools for each step.

Data-analysis strategies for image-based cell profiling

In-detail explanations of image analysis pipelines.

Large-scale image-based screening and profiling of cellular phenotypes

A workflow for phenotype extraction from high throughput imaging experiments.

Workflow and metrics for image quality control in large-scale high-content screens

Approaches for quality control in high-content imaging screens.

Footnotes

Similar lists and repositories

BIII

Repository of bioimage analysis tools.

Bio-image Analysis Notebooks

Notebooks for bioimage analysis in Python.

Bioimaging Guide

Microscopy for beginners reference guide.

Cytodata

A curated list of awesome cytodata resources.

Napari hub

Collection of napari plugins.

OpenMicroscopy

Non-comprehensive list of projects and resources related to open microscopy.