To process, analyze and visualize STED and confocal data sets, the CMRF maintains current copies of SVI’s Huygen’s Pro(link is external) and Oxford’s Imaris(link is external). Huygen’s is the gold standard deconvolution app, increasing resolution and removing noise from confocal and STED z-stacks. Imaris is the world’s leading 3D-4D image visualization and analysis package, providing sophisticated, easy-to-use volume, distance and tracking modules. Both apps are installed on a custom-built high-end PC workstation.

Huygen's Pro features easy-to-use wizards that guide the user through the deconvolution process. Background flare is removed, and resolution can be be improved by 2x.

With just a few steps, Imaris delivers quantitative volumetric and motion-analysis results. Custom Imaris modules are available for neuroscience, (e.g. dendrite and spine analysis,) and co-localization studies. Other available features include:

• Imaris Measurement Pro: Shape, size and intensity-based quantification.
• Imaris Track: Imaging, tracking and motion analysis of live cells and moving objects in 2D and 3D.
• Imaris Filament Tracer: Automatic detection of neurons (dendritic trees, axons and spines,) microtubules, and other filament-like structures in 2D, 3D and 4D.
• Imaris Coloc: Quantify and document co-distribution of multiple stained biological components.
• Imaris Cell: Quantitatively examine micro relationships that exist within and between cells.
• Imaris Vantage: Compare and contrast experimental groups by visualizing image data in five dimensions as uni- or multi-variate scatterplots.