GDSC SMLM: Single-molecule localisation microscopy software for ImageJ

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Microscopy
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Single-molecule localisation microscopy (SMLM) generates super-resolution images from fluorescent molecule data.
• Analysis of SMLM data is crucial for understanding molecular behavior and cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the GDSC SMLM software, a comprehensive tool for SMLM data analysis.
• To provide a unified, cross-platform environment for SMLM data processing and analysis.

Main Methods:

• The software employs stages of spot detection, fitting, and rejection to identify and localize fluorescent molecules.
• It includes visualization, cropping, and filtering tools for localization datasets.
• Downstream analysis capabilities encompass single-particle tracking, cluster analysis, and drift correction.

Main Results:

• GDSC SMLM software successfully identifies and localizes fluorescent molecules from raw microscope images.
• The software facilitates advanced analyses such as particle tracking and drift correction.
• It also offers utility tools for camera and point spread function (PSF) modeling for data simulation.

Conclusions:

• GDSC SMLM provides a versatile and integrated software solution for SMLM data analysis.
• The software enhances the extraction of molecular information from super-resolution microscopy.
• Its plugin-based architecture for ImageJ ensures accessibility and extensibility.