NBO-Q empowers imaging scientists!

Imaging Scientists benefit from these standards that provide a clear, community-driven framework for recording the metadata that matters most—from sample preparation and imaging conditions to microscope hardware and acquisition settings. By adopting NBO-Q in your workflows, you ensure that your image data is not only reproducible and high quality but also compliant with FAIR principles, making it easier to share, publish, and reanalyze. The NBO-Q community is actively working to enable easy integration with tools like OMERO, Micro-Meta App, and OME-NGFF, helping you document experiments efficiently without disrupting acquisition routines. Embracing NBO-Q enhances the scientific value of your datasets and aligns your work with emerging expectations from journals, funders, and core facilities.

 

Resources:
Metrology images – QUAREP maintains an OMERO database for storing images relevant to its work on quality control and reproducibility.

Protocols – There are a number of QC protocols available on protocols.io

Publication guidelines – Nature Cell Biology and other NPG journals now enforce a minimum reporting checklist based on NBO-Q.

ISO standards for microscopy metadata are in development.

 

Bibliography:
NBO-Q model – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-021-01327-9
OME-NGFF – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-021-01326-w
OMERO – https://www.nature.com/articles/nmeth.1896
Micro-Meta App – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-021-01315-z