Bio-Rad’s Image Lab Software Makes Generating High-Quality, Reproducible Scientific Images Simple
28 Jan 2010When paired with Bio-Rad Laboratories’ GelDocTM XR+ or ChemiDocTM XRS+ systems, Bio-Rad’s new Image Lab Software provides an easy-to-use, fully automated image capture and analysis system that delivers high quality images every time.
Traditionally, a high degree of fine-tuning is necessary for gel documentation users to optimize image quality. Furthermore, algorithms that are normally used to automate analysis have not historically proven to be sufficiently robust for researchers so they can have confidence in the results generated. Image Lab software changes the dynamic of how researchers can use their gel documentation systems by offering an easy-to-use, automated system that requires no special training to operate.
“Image acquisition and analysis should be simple, fast, and as automated as possible,” said Michael Kissner, an Assistant Specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. “We have been truly impressed with the ease of use and seamless automation that Image Lab Software offers. Its addition to our gel-documentation system has resulted in excellent reliability and reproducibility in image quality.”
Image Lab software optimizes image capture, analysis and reporting in a single automated workflow. The software automatically calibrates the GelDoc XR+ and ChemiDoc XRS+ systems at initial set up so when a sample is imaged for a given application, the picture is always in focus, at any sample height, at any zoom level, and in any user’s hands.
“By eliminating the guesswork of determining optimal camera and lighting settings, even novice users can use Image Lab to image with high confidence,” said Ryan Short, Imaging Marketing Manager, Bio-Rad Laboratories.
An important aspect to optimizing images and which allows for reliable quantification is a proprietary process called “flat fielding” that adjusts images for optical and illumination artifacts resulting from lens curvature and minor lighting variances. Once flat fielding is completed at initial set up, it can be constantly applied to every image capture for improved data quality and reproducibility. Flat fielding improves image uniformity by 45 percent for chemiluminescent applications and 95 percent for experiments using fluorescence.
Users can set up imaging protocols with the click of a mouse and the system will remember the entire workflow—from image capture to result—in a protocol file, removing the need to reset the imager each time a new gel or blot is loaded. Once saved, the protocols can be edited, re-saved, re-applied and exchanged between users. This enables identical or similar experiments to be performed by different users and repeated 100 percent accurately and reproducibly.
“Researchers can use personalized protocols to image new gels or blots using the exact same camera and lighting settings every time. This adds a new level of data quality and reproducibility that was previously unattainable,” Short said.
Image Lab analysis tools create custom data reports and images that can be easily exported to various programs including Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word. Users can opt to manually analyze data when needed. Image Lab is compatible with all current Mac and PC operating systems.