Solutions for the visualization of big image data in life sciences

New microscopy technologies, such as light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) or clearing methods, allow the imaging of large samples at high resolution or high frame rates. Handling, processing, and analyzing these multi-terabyte data sets has become increasingly difficult for scientists, such as in developmental biology and neuroscience.

New tools are needed to overcome these challenges. Therefore, ZEISS has teamed up with arivis AG to offer complete solutions from initial image acquisition to final results.

arivis Vision4D is a modular software for handling multidimensional (3D+) images of nearly unlimited size. Users can easily import images generated with microscope systems such as ZEISS Lightsheet Z.1, and comfortably stitch and align single images into large comprehensive image stacks.

This enables easy assessment and efficient analysis of, for example, high resolution brain mapping experiments or long-term observation of developmental processes in embryos. ZEISS is offering an integrated package worldwide, consisting of arivis Vision4D software and certified high performance computer hardware.

Moreover, arivis and ZEISS have developed 3Dxl Viewer, an integrated rendering module for the imaging software ZEISS ZEN (blue edition). It allows the handling of large 6D data sets acquired on ZEISS LSM 800 with Airyscan.

Current publications reflect how actively the scientific community has been tackling the challenge of big image data. Two recent review articles authored by Jeff Lichtman, Hanspeter Pfister, Nir Shavit, and Doug Richardson of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Lichtman et al., Nature Neuroscience, 2014; Richardson and Lichtman, Cell, 2015) explain the monumental task currently facing neuroscientists and other biologists attempting to image large intact tissues at micrometer resolution.