Improved image processing for 3D virtual object construction from serial sections reveals tissue patterns in root...

Area of Science:

• Plant biology
• Bioimaging
• Computational biology

Background:

• Previous methods enabled 3D virtual reconstructions of plant tissues from transverse sections.
• This study extends these methods to utilize longitudinal sections and simplified image processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the applicability of longitudinal sections for 3D virtual plant tissue reconstruction.
• To introduce improved, simpler image-processing steps using free applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized GIMP 2.10 and ImageJ 2.3.0 for image processing and 3D object generation.
• Employed ImageJ plug-ins 'Volume Viewer' and '3D Viewer' for sectional views and 3D visualization.
• Constructed virtual cuboids by stacking longitudinal or transverse images.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated 3D virtual reconstructions (cuboids) from longitudinal and transverse sections.
• Produced sectional views along multiple planes and visualized extracted tissues within the 3D object.
• Created an animated video of the 3D construct.

Conclusions:

• Both longitudinal and transverse section stacking yield similar 3D objects, offering flexibility in virtual reconstruction.
• The choice between methods depends on the specific research objective, such as examining vertical cell structures or general spatial evaluations.
• The improved method offers a more accessible approach to 3D plant tissue visualization using free software.