Seeing more with less: Towards the gentle gaze of molecules with AI-enhanced Microscopy
In super-resolution microscopy, our goal is to resolve the nanoscale dynamics of life, but this often means grappling with immense datasets and the delicate nature of live cells. My lab has been dedicated to crafting open-source solutions to this challenge, integrating advanced optics with intelligent computational analysis. We started with foundational tools like NanoJ, which streamlined super-resolution image reconstruction through SRRF and image quality assessment with SQUIRREL. However, the growing complexity of imaging data has steered us towards harnessing machine learning for more automated and insightful analysis. We realised that to democratise these powerful techniques, we needed to make them accessible to every scientist. This led to ZeroCostDL4Mic, a cloud-based platform that offers deep learning models for tasks such as segmentation and denoising, bypassing the need for expensive local hardware. Building on this, we developed DL4MicEverywhere to ensure these tools are readily deployable and reproducible in any setting. Complementing these are our Python-centric libraries, like NanoPyx, which extend our analytical capabilities. This talk will explore how these AI-driven strategies, coupled with our open-source philosophy, allow us to achieve a truly "gentle gaze" into the molecular world, providing quantitative insights into biological processes with remarkable precision and transparency.
- Cell Biology
- Super-resolution
- AI
Speaker
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Ricardo Henriques
AI-driven Optical Biology Lab
Ricardo Henriques leads the AI-driven Optical Biology laboratory (HenriquesLab) at ITQB NOVA, where he develops AI-enhanced microscopy techniques and super-resolution imaging technologies. His research focuses on creating “self-driving” super-resolution microscopes, developing open-source tools like the NanoJ framework, and integrating machine learning with advanced optics for cellular imaging. As a key organizer of the ITQB NOVA Microscopy Symposium 2026, Ricardo brings together ... read more